Fire and Blood
by Blackwolf501
Summary: The Uchiha's have a history of madness, and no one knew it better than Naruto, fifth son of Tajima Uchiha. Amidst his father's mad ambition and his eldest brother Madara's thirst for revenge against the Senju and the entire world, it will take every ounce of Naruto's charm and skill at arms to save the greatest clan of the ninja world...and that still might not be enough. NaruxTsu
1. The Uchiha

**This story came to me while watching the episodes of Madara and Hashirama. I wanted my own version of events so this story came into existence. My old readers know my writing style, but for the new ones just a few pointers before we start.**

 **English is my third language but I can write decently. My stories are generally dark because the ninja world in my opinion is such. If you expect Cannon Naruto then my stories are not for you, this is fanfiction and I try to portray him in a different way because a person cannot be the same if he does not go through the same situations. Still, I'll try my best to show glimpses of Canon Naruto once in a while.**

 **Lastly, if you hate the Uchiha then this story is not for you.**

 **Let's start the Journey.**

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

 **The Uchiha**

* * *

 _"Ninshu shall unite humanity"_

Those were the last words of Hagoromo Otsutsuki, The Sage of Six Paths, The Creator.

Since the beginning of time the human race had embroiled itself in conflicts of power, greed and ambition. It was a cycle of never ending violence that was supposed to end when The Sage taught humans the power of chakra. With that gift, he had wished to give peace yet humans have an uncanny habit of destroying themselves on their own.

The chakra that was supposed to unite became the catalyst for even greater violence between the Sage's two sons, Indra and Ashura. If only Hagoromo had understood humanity's fault lay in its twisted emotions and granting them power would only embolden them.

A proof of that claim itself was the conflict between the Sage's sons which began over a simple matter of succession.

 **Power.**

The Sage who taught the world the importance of peace couldn't teach his own sons the same values.

And that was the beginning of a massacre that went on for centuries.

A massacre that still happened every day.

Chakra was weaponized by the Sage's elder son, Indra. Being the first born and more powerful among his father's sons, he considered it his lawful right to succeed his father. But the Sage chose the younger brother and divided the brothers forever.

Ashura, the younger brother loved his brother but was a dutiful son of his father. He tried to make peace, but the Sage insisted that Ashura be his successor.

It divided the world.

Those who believed in Indra and his lawful right pledged their families to him.

And those who truly loved the Sage above all pledged their loyalty to Ashura.

And that started...

 _The Infinite War._

As time passed, both brothers fought against each other with their respective supporters transforming their families into various ninja clans.

The Uchiha and The Senju.

Two opposite factions rose that battled against each other over the centuries long after the death of Indra and Ashura.

The conflict became less a matter of rightful succession or fulfilling the Sage's wish, but a matter of establishing dominance, pride and revenge. Peace never came for the various noble clans following these two houses had their own agenda and always continued to encourage war.

Various powerful individuals, groups, nations started hiring these two factions for their own selfish motives.

 _The Clan Wars Era._

This was the name of the current conflict going on between the two factions. When the war between Indra and Ashura had first started, most of the world had expected the elder son's faction to win for he was more powerful and talented than his brother and his supporters.

But the Senju's proved more resilient and intelligent than their elder siblings for they secured alliances of several other factions to their cause with co-operation, marriage, money and other benefits.

While the Uchiha despite being the more powerful in combat had one fatal flaw which they continued to inherit from their founder, Indra.

 **Superiority.**

Following in Indra's footsteps and ideology, the Uchiha continued to believe in their skill, prowess and sharingan.

 _Fire Bearers_ were they called, rumored to be descendants of dragons, ones destined either for unimaginable greatness or sheer madness.

The Uchiha's didn't form many alliances unlike the Senju believing the inferior and smaller clans owed their loyalty to Indra and his successors, that it was their duty to bow to their superiors. It led to their isolation but despite that they continued to survive and fight for their Sharingan prowess had no equal.

Yet as the centuries passed and the conflicts increased, the Uchiha's started to lose. Their power started to dwindle with more and more clans joining the Senju which only served to fuel the anger among the Uchiha's.

In their mad quest for power, they established the practice of clan members wedding their siblings or cousins to keep their bloodline _pure_. To prevent outsider blood from corrupting their future generations.

So worse became their madness that any clan member wedding outside the clan was killed alongwith any children of theirs.

Instead of killing their enemies, the Uchiha's started killing themselves.

The Senju's used this advantage to fully destroy the Uchiha to such extent that they were no longer worthy of being equal of the Senju's in power and dominance. The proud descendants of Indra continued to dwindle until another catastrophe struck them.

 _The Sharingan Vanished._

It came as the worst devastation upon the warriors who prided themselves on their powerful eyes. Many researchers and doctors suggested inter-clan marriage the reason behind this phenomenon, others suggested the Uchiha's were simply weakened alongwith many different reasons.

Whatever the true reason, it didn't change the fact that the Sharingan was gone and nothing the Uchiha's did managed to restart their prized dojutsu among their clan members.

Another century passed and the Uchiha's fall continued to become worse and worse.

It became clear to all...

 _The House of Dragon was dying._

* * *

Tajima Uchiha watched as a group of boys practiced their martial art exercises in the open green field. There were five of them, all wearing the same armour alongwith sharing another common trait.

They were **_blood brothers._**

 _Tajima's Five sons._

Heirs to House Uchiha.

The proud father smiled on seeing his two eldest battling against each other in a deadly kenjutsu battle. Despite being only eight years and seven years old, Madara and Izuna were Taijma's pride.

Their house might have lost their famed sharingan and much of their dominance across the world. But it had not diminished the Uchiha's superiority in Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, Taijutsu, Kenjutsu and many others arts. They were proud warriors and their house still had enough numbers to continue their rightful war against the bloody Senju's.

Tajima smiled when Madara unleashed a fireball towards his younger brother which was countered by a similar attack from Izuna.

Madara was Tajima's first born and strongest son. He had inherited all of Tajima's strength and looks, he was a skilled warrior and worthy of leading the clan in the future. And unlike his younger brothers, he was not soft.

Izuna was the second son, seven of age, and successor of their House if Madara died. While not as strong as his brother, Izuna was loved by their clansmen. He was a good leader, efficient fighter and staunch supporter of all his brothers.

Tajima watched his third and fourth sons continue their shuriken practice together. The twins, Yashiro and Inabi looked identical and shared their father's looks. They were young boys of six years and were decent fighters. Although they were too arrogant for their own good, a trait which Tajima worried would harm them on the battlefield.

And there was his last and youngest son.

Tajima couldn't help but be pained on seeing the young boy. Brown of hair and the fair complexion, he was the spitting image of his mother and Tajima's deceased wife, Hikari Uchiha.

 _Naruto Uchiha_ , five of age, fifth and youngest of Tajima's sons was different from his elder brothers. It was not just the looks but what the boy represented that made him a pariah among his own family and the clan.

Hikari had died giving birth to the boy and given him his name. Tajima had loved his wife dearly and it had broken him when she died. He had tried to be a dutiful father to his five motherless sons alongwith playing the part of the Head of their ancient and noble house. A task made even more difficult with the Senju breathing down on their necks.

Naruto grew up to be his mother's image. Kind of heart and a happy child who adored his elder brothers even if most of them despised him blaming their mother's death on the child.

Tajima had himself remained indifferent to his youngest son and only provided him the basic needs. Naruto was not as strong as his brothers, or had the strong will necessary of an Uchiha. He loved too much, forgave too much, and most of the time was oblivious to the world around him.

Naruto would never be someone worthy and useful to the Clan. The only reason Tajima hadn't disowned him was because of the fact that he needed heirs in this treacherous world where children died and most of all because Hikari had made Tajima promise to look after the boy.

With Tajima indifferent to the boy, the clan also lost all interest and ignored Naruto Uchiha. He was nothing but a spare heir and a weakling.

 _The Strong Survive, The Weak Die._

Tajima frowned when Yashiro and Inabi mocked their youngest brother when he failed to produce a fireball and ended up coughing his lungs out.

"Bloody weakling!" spat Inabi distastefully,

Yashiro went forward to bonk his coughing brother only to have a shadow step in between. Looking up, the third son of Tajima saw his elder brother standing before him with a sharp look in his dark eyes.

"What are you doing?" asked Izuna, and narrowed his eyes when Yashiro clenched his fists while glaring at a scared Naruto.

"Teaching him a lesson. He is a weakling and a disgrace to our clan. Can't even form a simple fireball jutsu" said Yashiro angrily, and flinched when Izuna gave him a cold look.

"He is our brother" reminded Izuna,

" _He killed mother!_ " yelled Inabi furiously,

Izuna stepped forward making his two young brothers take a step back. Tajima was about to move to intervene, when Madara sighed and grabbed the two angry children by their collars.

"Come, I'll teach you a new jutsu beside the lake" proposed the eldest with a grin,

''Really? Nii-san?" asked both the excited boys with joy in their eyes. Madara was their hero after all.

"Yes. So go along now"

The two brothers cheered and ran towards the lake to learn something new from their prodigal brother completely ignoring their previous anger at their youngest sibling.

Madara saw Izuna was still seething in anger and laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Let it go, Izuna. They are kids..." advised Madara, only to receive a heated glare from his closest sibling.

"Naruto is our brother, Nii-san"

Madara saw the scared and whimpering boy staring at them. He didn't hate him like Yashiro and Inabi did, but he didn't love him as well. In this regard, Madara was just like his father with both of them tolerating Naruto but not doing anything more.

Izuna was the only one who cared for the boy and looked after him.

"Fine. But don't try to play favorites, Izuna. Yashiro and Inabi are our brothers as well" reminded Madara patiently,

"So is Naruto"

Madara sighed again, his brother was stubborn and would not relent.

"Very well"

With that Madara was gone to join his two brothers waiting for him by the lake. Furious Izuna turned towards their father and saw the man giving him a firm look.

"Do you have something to say, boy?" asked Tajima sternly, and watched the boy clench his fists shut.

"No, Father"

Izuna turned away from his father and marched towards his youngest brother. The young boy glanced at him with watery eyes and Izuna flinched on seeing the burned lips. Gods, was he so stubborn?

"Nii-san, can you teach me a jutsu, please?" asked the shy boy,

"You are injured" said Izuna hesitantly, and saw the boy flinch when he tried to touch his burned lips.

"No. I can fight. Just like you" proclaimed little Naruto with such confidence that broke Izuna's heart.

But the truth was Naruto couldn't perform ninjutsu well. Every Uchiha child had to perform a fireball jutsu as their _Right of Passage_ into adulthood at the age of six. In a few weeks, the boy's birthday would come and he would be obligated to pass.

However, Naruto was struggling. He was less skilled and hard headed, which resulted into him getting injured most of the time.

But if he failed the _Right of Passage_ , Izuna feared the boy would become even more hated among the clan for the Uchiha never tolerated the weak. The only reason Naruto even had a comfortable life was because he was the son of the clan head.

A despised son, but a son nonetheless.

"I'll teach you but tomorrow. Now we need to heal your injuries..." promised Izuna, but the brown haired boy shook his head.

"Now"

Izuna smirked at the boy's childish demand to learn when he looked ready to fall over from exhaustion. It was why Izuna loved his youngest brother, he was a stubborn fool but a person who never gave up. A child who was determined to prove himself despite no support from his blood family.

"Well, I can. But then I won't have time to treat you to Ramen" said Izuna with a hidden smile,

If possible the child seemed to have regained his lost energy as he literally jumped in the air. All excited and completely forgetting the cold treatment given to him by his other brothers.

"RAMEN!" yelled Naruto with a fist pumped in the air,

Izuna chuckled at the display feeling happy at seeing that smile. Naruto had that way about him, one smile from the boy could take away a day's worth of Izuna's fatigue.

So when he offered his back, Izuna's youngest brother happily jumped and grabbed his neck affectionately.

"You are the best, Nii-san!" yelled Naruto, nearly making Izuna go deaf. Gods, the boy was loud. How could an Uchiha be that?

Izuna watched their father staring at them with a strange look in his eyes. The second son of Tajima simply gave a respectful nod to the man before starting his walk towards the town happy to involve himself in the endless chattering of his youngest brother.

* * *

Naruto observed the vast town built by his ancestors. It was so huge, so many lights and with so many people trying to sell so many pretty things. He was so enraptured with the sight of new toys in a nearby shop but he then remembered Father telling them Uchiha played with swords not wooden horses.

Still Izuna saw him staring at the wooden horse and bought it for him. For that gesture, he happily kissed his brother's cheek earning a laugh from his favorite brother.

Naruto felt happy whenever he was with him. Izuna never scolded him, okay maybe when he tried to sneak out at midnight outside the city walls. Those were the only times his brother had been furious with him warning that the world was dangerous, especially for an Uchiha.

Naruto didn't know why Izuna said that but he obeyed his brother.

Yashiro and Inabi were always mean to him, making fun of him, even trying to hit him whenever they could. Madara would put a stop to that whenever he noticed, but his eldest brother never talked with him much. And it hurt.

"Nii-san, does Madara-nii hate me?"

Izuna stared at him in surprise even as he continued taking them towards the infirmary to heal Naruto's burned lips.

"No. Madara is... _busy_. He is the heir to our House, our future leader. He just has a lot of stuff to do" said Izuna hesitantly,

"He talks with Yashiro and Inabi but not with me. I don't like him" said Naruto, his cheeks puffing red with anger.

"Naru..."

"No! I have you, I don't need him. Or stupid Yashi-chan or Ina-baka!"

Izuna chuckled a little at his brother's silly statement. At times he had to remind himself Naruto was still a child and yet to grow up. He was yet to see the battlefield, something all his brothers had already done so in varied fashions.

Madara and Izuna had fought on the front lines, even Yashiro and Inabi had fought under their Father's guidance.

Naruto was the youngest and as much as Izuna hated to accept he was not much strong. Maybe he would be if Father and Madara gave him a chance, but that was unlikely to happen anytime soon.

Their family had never been the same after Mother died.

Izuna loved all his brothers. He respected Madara, looked after Yashiro and Inabi, but most of all he doted on his baby brother Naruto. People said he looked like mother and Izuna wanted to believe that mother would like it if he looked after her youngest son.

He finally managed to get Naruto to the infirmary and summoned a medic to heal his wounds. His brother was given instant attention for they were the sons of their House's leader.

Naruto was so happy playing with his wooden horse as the medic finished healing his burns and applied salve alongwith bandage. She even gave the young boy some toffees earning a broad smile from the brown haired boy.

"Should we go for Ramen?" asked Izuna,

"YES!"

Izuna smacked his forehead when his kid brother ran out of the infirmary making two nurses lose their balance and fall on their butts. He apologized on his brother's behalf and ran after him...

"Not so fast!" warned Izuna,

His warning was received a little late as Naruto bumped into some guards out for patrol. They were about to scold him but then noticed who he was and gave him scorned looks. Even those vanished when Izuna approached and glared at them.

Izuna smirked when the guards flinched on seeing him, apologized to his brother and ran off.

 _They know their place._

Still, he went forward and bumped his brother lightly on the head making him scowl.

"Hey!"

''Watch where you go, baby brother!" admonished Izuna,

Naruto huffed and placed his hands across his chest sitting flat on his ass in the middle of the street. Izuna saw many ladies and girls swoon over the young boy and men giving him disapproving looks for such childish behavior.

Izuna poked his forehead.

"Let's race, then!" he said uncaring about the disapproving looks from the Uchiha men.

Naruto's smile could have brightened an entire city.

* * *

Madara found his two brothers chatting and eating in the ramen stand. Well, it was Naruto gulping down his third bowl of ramen with Izuna watching him fondly.

As he watched those two interact, Madara couldn't help but feel but a twinge of jealousy. He and Izuna were close as brothers, but the bond which Izuna shared with Naruto was something else.

Madara didn't know what to feel towards his youngest brother. He was family, but Madara still had hazy memories of the day their mother died while giving birth to Naruto. He could still remember her asking him and Izuna, her eldest sons to look after her remaining children.

And Madara had tried to fulfill her wish. He had looked after Yashiro and Inabi in life and war, but he was not there for Naruto.

Maybe it was how similar he looked to their mother or how innocent he was compared to their hard hearted clan. Madara didn't know how to interact with the boy, he didn't want to be cruel to him like Yashiro and Inabi but he was not much enthusiastic to be close either.

But one thing was sure, Naruto was an Uchiha and his brother. And Madara would protect him from any harm, he just didn't know how to talk with this child. He was not Izuna.

With a sigh, he decided to do what he was told to.

"Izuna"

His second brother turned towards him in surprise as Madara entered the ramen stand. Naruto paled and instantly buried his head in his half empty ramen bowl. Madara let him be.

"Come join us, Nii-san" invited Izuna with a smile,

"Father wants you to accompany him to a meeting with the elders" informed Madara,

"Okay, just let me drop Naru home and-"

Madara shook his head.

"Now. And don't argue because you know you cannot. Go, I'll take him home" offered Madara, and saw Izuna was not comfortable with the idea but when father said something, you do it without any questions.

Izuna nodded.

Madara could see Naruto wanted to bolt as well but Izuna whispered something to him that made the boy nod. Before leaving, the second son of Tajima turned towards his eldest.

"Try to talk with him, Madara. He is our brother..." suggested Izuna kindly,

"Izuna..."

"Takashi died two days ago on a mission. He was just six, brother"

"What is your point?" asked Madara sharply,

"Life is too short for regrets, Nii-san"

Madara was stunned and stood still even as his brother left. Izuna sometimes said things like this that showed his true intellect beyond his age. It made the eldest son of Tajima look at his youngest sibling for a long moment.

With another sigh, Madara grabbed a seat beside the boy. Despite having an age difference of barely 3 years, Madara felt as if they were ages apart. The two of them were so different.

Still, he had to try for Izuna's sake atleast.

"Heard you got injured during training?" asked Madara in a calm manner,

"Yes, Nii-san. Just a little"

Madara flinched on hearing the fear in the boy's voice. Had he terrified the boy that much?

"How goes your shuriken training?" asked Madara, and this time the boy beamed.

"Very good. I can hit three targets right in the center at once" replied Naruto excitedly,

Madara grinned a little. Maybe his brother had some hope, after all.

"Would you like to show me when we reach home? I'm free for the rest of the day.." suggested Madara,

"I..."

He could see the boy was nervous and decided to make him a little relaxed.

"If you prove what you say. I will teach you one jutsu"

Madara paled on seeing the hungry look that arrived in Naruto's excited eyes. He wanted to learn from his eldest brother whom people called a prodigy, had yearned for it for so long that it made Madara sad.

"I'll do it. Then you'll teach me a cool jutsu?" asked the boy,

"Yes"

Before he could say anything, Naruto slammed the money for the food Izuna had left on the counter and dashed out. Madara banged his head against the table, how could he forget the little rascal liked to run a lot at every chance.

He ran after his brother.

* * *

Madara was impressed.

Never had he imagined his youngest brother to have such skill. Naruto had always struggled with ninjutsu which was shameful for an Uchiha but the boy had another dangerous skill.

He was skilled in kenjutsu.

The way he held his tanto, his firm yet flexible stance, his excellent speed and the way he made his weapon dance in the air.

The fact that he was making Madara put real effort in the fight was a testimony of his skill.

His little brother unleashed three shuriken from his pouch and threw them at Madara. The older brother easily deflected the attacks and saw his sibling use the precious second to get close. Madara anticipated a fast strike but what happened next surprised him even more.

His brother tried to sweep his legs.

Madara jumped quickly in the air and brought his tanto downwards eliciting a sharp sound as Naruto parried it with his own tanto. Madara launched a kick towards his opponent's chest which the boy evaded at the last second.

He was not given any respite as Madara unleashed a dozen shuriken towards him. Naruto in turn grabbed his similar weapons, jumped in the air and countered the attack by making every shuriken of his clash against his brother's.

Flipping in the air, he aimed a pointed downwards slash of his tanto towards a surprised Madara.

Only to receive a reverse kick that sent him crashing across the ground and spit blood.

He tried to rise back on his feet to show his brother that he was not yet done but his chest hurt.

"You did good"

Naruto smiled at the rare praise he received from his eldest brother. He even helped him get back on his feet and fulfilled his promise by showing him a jutsu that complimented his skills.

"You are good with weapons. Your accuracy is good, so let me teach you how to make your shuriken attack more deadly and longer in range" explained Madara,

Naruto nodded dutifully.

Madara showed him the hand seals which were a set of three signs which Naruto learned quickly. Next, Madara advised him regarding the amount of chakra he had to use to make his attack more deadly.

All sons of Tajima had already been taught chakra control exercises in hopes of making them true warriors at early age.

And it was proving useful now.

Naruto threw his a single shuriken followed by performing the hand seals Madara had shown him while also infusing some chakra. He was surprised when his single shuriken turned into seven more replicas and struck more targets.

"Good. Make your hand signs faster, on the battlefield a delay of even a second could cost you your life" warned Madara,

"Yes, Nii-san"

Madara nodded and turned around to walk away now that his job was done when Naruto's words struck him.

"You do care about me"

If not for his self control, Madara didn't know what he would have done on hearing those words so he chose a standard reply.

"You are my brother. As your eldest sibling, it is my duty to protect you"

Naruto smiled at him happily. Madara couldn't understand why this boy was so happy, all he had done for him was teach him a simple jutsu which anyone else could have done as well. But the way Naruto was smiling showed as he was given a mountain full of gold.

The boy was strange.

He was distracted from his thoughts when he saw Izuna enter the compound and storm towards his room.

He looked furious.

"Naruto, go get some rest in your room" commanded Madara,

"But-"

"Now"

The boy huffed earning a raised eyebrow from Madara. Two seconds later Naruto instantly ran towards his room earning a faint smile from Madara.

Maybe Izuna was not so wrong about him.

Still, he decided to let Izuna fume. When his second brother was angry, it was best to leave him alone and Madara had a feeling as to who could have made him so.

Yet he couldn't help but wonder why Izuna was so mad.

* * *

(A Week Later)

Madara found his answer as he stood on the battlefield alongside a large number of his clansmen.

And all his brothers.

Tajima stood at the front of the three hundred strong Uchiha force ready to face their sworn enemies. In front of him was the **_Great Tama_** river.

A key strategic water source that was the lifeline of several nearby villages. One which had been controlled by the Senju's for more than a century, now soon to be in the possession of the Uchiha.

Losing this river would harm the Senju's interests greatly and secure a key victory for the Uchiha's which would get them more contracts from the wealthy feudal lords who had been recently flocking to the Senju's more.

He stared at his sons, all of whom were going to participate in the battle.

Madara was composed and ready as he always was. Yashiro and Inabi were eager to fight in order to kill their House's sworn enemies. Izuna was furious...

The second son of Tajima instead of standing beside his father was standing protectively around his youngest brother.

Naruto's face was a mixture of apprehension, fear and excitement. He was a child of five and normally it would be a few months before he joined his brothers in this endless conflict. But Tajima had seen Naruto's struggle with ninjutsu and doubted his son could learn the fireball jutsu before his _Right of Passage_ came.

If he failed, it would dishonor their family amidst their clan.

So Tajima had brought him here in hopes of making the green boy see what dangers awaited him and how he had to mend his ways to be a better Uchiha like his brothers were. If Naruto performed well then their clan members might just ignore his lack of prowess in ninjutsu, and if he died then atleast he would die with honor and a tanto in hand.

 _He would be a true Uchiha._

Izuna had been furious with him and argued everyday to revoke his decision but Tajima had made his choice. His youngest son would either become a true Uchiha or die as one on this battlefield.

"Naruto"

The nervous boy who had been biting his lip in silent anticipation looked up at his favorite brother and saw him smile reassuringly.

"Stick them with the pointy end"

Naruto smiled and nodded as he gripped his short tanto firmly in his two little hands. Soon enough he heard the war horns blowing across the other side of the river and saw movement inside the woods there.

Moments later an army of warriors clad in armour rushed out with their swords and weapons. Their cries of war being returned by the Uchiha in equal fervor.

As they charged, Naruto stuck to Izuna's side and noticed that while the enemy wore armour his clansmen didn't have any such protection. Instead the Uchiha's wore their war clothes and rushed towards the battle. For some reason, Naruto found this strange and stupid.

He was mesmerized when a black rain rose high in the sky and he noticed it was rain of kunai and shuriken descending down upon his side.

The Uchiha's deflected the incoming attacks with ease, but some were not fast enough to counter the massive storm raining from the skies and fell as blood gurgled out of their mangled bodies.

Naruto watched in horror as his elder brother Inabi fell to the ground clutching his little throat where a sharp kunai lay buried.

He stood motionless waiting for his mean older brother to get up, but Inabi continued to stay still even as a pool of red blood started forming around his corpse.

His brother was dead.

The battlefield was engulfed in chaos with the sounds of weapons clashing, men screaming, jutsu being unleashed filling the air. Men and women fought against each other trying to kill each other as viciously and savagely possible.

Naruto saw Yashiro cry in agony on watching his twin brother die. The older Uchiha roared fiercely followed by leaping in the air to stab a teenage Senju in the belly. Yashiro howled and slashed two more surprised Senju's viciously hacking them to death before three swords pierced his torso.

Yashiro grinned weakly as he let one kunai fall from his pouch.

There was an explosion that ripped Yashiro to shreds alongwith the men who killed him. Naruto stood numb watching his second brother die as the blood and guts rained down on him.

 **Anger.**

It surged through his body like a tidal wave as he grabbed his tanto and ran towards the nearest Senju. Ignoring the armored chest, Naruto viciously hacked at the man's knees making a torrent of blood erupt alongwith the enemy's cry as he fell to the ground.

The last thing he ever saw was Naruto's tanto being buried in his brain.

Naruto had to deflect a dozen shuriken that were aimed to kill him. In his bloodlust, he charged forward stepping over dead bodies and spilled guts. The Senju woman blinked when he jumped in the air and she poorly tried to raise her weapon but not fast enough as Naruto sliced her neck brutally.

He hacked, he slashed.

He ran, he fell.

He stabbed, he parried.

His mind was in a daze as he continued to kill isolated Senju warriors with the help of his clansmen never showing them an ounce of mercy. Yashiro and Inabi were always mean to him, but they were his brothers.

And these bad men killed them.

He whirled around as he sensed an incoming attack and managed to parry a tanto from slicing his head off. He was finally snapped out of his rage and noticed it was a young girl. She had blonde hair that barely reached her shoulders, bright green eyes that were full of anger and fear. Her little body was covered in heavy Senju armor and she was the same age as him.

Naruto roared in anger which made her flinch and he used that moment to disarm her followed by a vicious kick that sent her sprawling to the ground.

Covered in blood and guts, eyes ablaze with righteous fury and tanto dripped with red blood of his enemies he charged towards his new enemy to end her life.

He roared as he raised his weapon to stab her and...

Stopped.

 _For she was crying._

Pure, crystal like tears ran down her fair and chubby cheeks. Her green eyes staring at him with fear and a pleading.

His hands shook as he saw her cry, a girl the same age as him and he wanted to kill her. But then he noticed the Senju emblem on her armor and remembered her clansmen killing two of his brothers minutes ago.

"TSUNADE!"

He looked up to see four angry young boys charging towards him. There was murder in their eyes as they saw Naruto's tanto hovering above the little girl.

With an angry snarl, Naruto met those four head on ignoring the defeated girl.

The first to meet him was a silver hair older boy with cold eyes that made Naruto shiver as they clashed their blades. He was stronger and pushed Naruto as the remaining boys closed in for the kill.

Naruto's eyes widened for he knew he wouldn't be able to evade. He would die just like Yashiro had...

Until there was a wild rush of air as a shadow jumped in between battling away the blades of the Senju.

" _You will not kill my brother_ , **SENJU!** " yelled Izuna furiously,

Naruto smiled in relief when his brother kicked away the silver haired boy that was pushing Naruto back. The Senju's narrowed their eyes on the new enemy as Izuna shot a quick glance at his brother.

"Stay behind me, Naru"

The little boy nodded and took up position behind his older brother. Izuna bared his sword forward as the Senju boys surrounded them.

It was the silver haired boy who charged again with Izuna meeting him head on. Naruto blocked the blades from the other two boys, one with half black and half white hair, and the other with brown hair.

With all his strength Naruto pushed the two Senju's making them stumble a little.

Suddenly another older Uchiha ran inside the battle stabbing the brown haired Senju through the neck from behind.

"KAWARAMA!"

The Senju crumpled to the ground as his oldest comrade, a boy of ten with jet black hair stabbed the older Uchiha in the chest with an anguished cry.

The sudden deaths startled the fighters of both sides, including Izuna.

Blood flew in the air as the silver haired Senju swiped Izuna's sword away and stabbed him in the chest. Naruto cried for his brother who grunted and punched his attacker sending him stumbling away.

The mixed haired Senju boy tried to attack Izuna again only to receive a swift strike across his eye that sent him crashing away screaming in pain.

Naruto ran towards his brother managing to catch him in his little arms as they both fell to the ground.

"IZUNA!"

The Senju's were already hovering near their dead comrade and the injured one who just lost an eye courtesy of Izuna's blade.

Izuna coughed blood and gingerly pressed his trembling hand towards his chest only to see it return soaked in blood.

 _His blood._

"IZUNA!" cried Naruto,

The second son of Tajima hazily glanced at his brother who was crying hysterically. Izuna coughed but managed to smile and lay his bloodied hand on his sweet brother's cheek.

It was all getting so dark, the noises of battle fading away and only his brother's cries filled Izuna's ears.

He glanced at the boy whom he had loved more than anything in life and smiled.

 _"Be...happy...little...brother"_

Naruto froze when his brother's hand fell from his cheek, his chest went still and his eyes closed with that smile permanently etching across his face.

"Izuna...Nii-san...get...up...please...I...won't...go...outside...the...walls...I'll...do...whatever...you...say...PLEASE!" he cried, but Izuna didn't answer.

He shook his brother again and again only to receive silence. Naruto gave out an anguished scream and buried his head in his brother's bloodied chest. His heavy sobs making his little body tremble, the noises of battle being blacked out.

He cried so hard, he screamed but Izuna never answered.

 **"NO!"**

He hesitantly looked up with his blood stained face to see Madara standing a few feet away with a horrified expression etched across his own bloodied face. The eldest son of Tajima roared as a wave of chakra was unleashed from his body sending every nearby warrior to their knees.

The anger in Madara's eyes was enormous as he charged and sliced the nearest Senju in half. The younger Senju's who had attacked Naruto started backing away carrying their dead and injured comrades farther away.

Naruto saw dozens of older Senju had zeroed down on Madara and the threat he posed. And they were charging towards him.

With strength he didn't think he ever had, Naruto got up and charged towards his last brother.

He was not strong as his brothers but he was faster than them. A skill he displayed as he sailed past older warriors slashing their legs with his tanto mercilessly.

Madara wrecked _**carnage**_ across the battlefield killing anything and anyone in his way with his sword, with large fireballs, and shurikenjutsu.

Naruto protected his furious brother's rear with the help of other Uchiha's who joined the carnage with righteous fury.

 **"TO MADARA!"**

The Uchiha's rallied to that battlecry with Naruto in the front of the new charge following the lead of his eldest brother. It was as if a tidal wave had been unleashed as lines upon lines of Senju warriors were cut down.

Madara's fury knew no bounds and no shinobi could stand against him. Those who tried lost their lives instantly...

Naruto didn't know how long he fought or how many he killed or how many of his own clansmen died in the charge.

He was _so angry_ and _hurt_.

Another horn sounded across the battlefield and seconds later the Senju's started to flee deep within the forests where they came from.

"RUN, TREE HUGGERS!" yelled an Uchiha,

"VICTORY!"

"FIRE AND BLOOD!"

Naruto slumped to the ground gracelessly and lay there motionless. He felt a pain in his left arm and the left cheek of his face. But he didn't care for Izuna was dead.

Yashiro and Inabi too.

 _His brothers._

Many Uchiha's huddled around him and lifted him on their shoulders calling him a **Hero** , **The Young Dragon** , **The Brave**.

However, they had to clear a way as Madara came charging back with desperation evident in his eyes. His eyes finally zeroed in on his youngest and last living brother and he ran towards them.

Naruto was still numb when he felt himself being lowered to the ground moments before a strong pair of arms grabbed him in a fierce hug.

He slowly looked up to see it was Madara who had tears falling from his eyes. Whatever differences the two brothers had in life were drowned in the pain they felt in this moment. Naruto slumped in Madara's arms and cried as his brother held him.

It was this scene upon which Tajima Uchiha arrived and saw the gasps alongwith stunned looks on the faces of his clansmen.

His own eyes widened on seeing his eldest and youngest son hugging each other fiercely crying tears of sorrow.

"Impossible..." whispered Tajima, as he stared into the eyes of his sons.

They were red with tomoes.

 _The Sharingan was reborn._

* * *

 **Author's Notes: End of chapter.**

 **Hope you guys liked it.**

 **I have a few interesting ideas as to what could have changed in the ninja world had the Clan Wars Era happened a little differently? This story will be my answer to that question. (It'll mostly be AU with certain cannon events added here and there).**

 **As for pairings, yes I do have them. Tsunade will be one for certain although I might add another if I find it right. Who that is will remain a secret for now, but I don't mind any suggestions you might have.**

 **Well, that's it for now. If you liked this chapter, then feel free to leave reviews or suggestions.**

 **Until Next Time,**

 **Blackwolf501**


	2. Brothers

**Thank you for the reviews and support.**

 **Chapter 2**

 **Brothers**

* * *

Madara walked silently with the rest of his clan as they saw the gates of their hometown approaching. The Uchiha's were in a great mood having achieved their single largest victory in a decade, and most of all having witnessed their famous bloodline being reborn.

That had been the single reason that overwhelmed the losses they suffered.

They might have achieved victory but the price was too high.

Madara had set out for battle with three hundred of his clansmen and four of his brothers. Now he returned back with less than half of that army and the bodies of his three precious little brothers.

His only solace was the fact that he hadn't lost all his siblings. His youngest brother was still in this world and that gave Madara the strength to fight and protect him. He and Naruto had never been the best of friends, but after losing what they had Madara couldn't help but be worried for the little boy. He was all Madara had left apart from their power hungry father who hadn't blinked an eye on seeing the bodies of three of his sons.

 _They died with honor and their sacrifice gave us the Sharingan back. There is no need to shed any tears, boys._

Madara couldn't help but sigh in satisfaction on seeing his father sporting one black eye courtesy of Naruto. The little boy who had acted so meek and submissive his entire life had been enraged on hearing his father say such a thing when Izuna's corpse was not even cold yet. He had jumped before Madara could stop him, even Tajima had never anticipated such a move until Naruto proved he was the blood of the dragon, and Tajima had enraged him.

Tajima had not taken the insult kindly and tried to hit his son back only to freeze to see the level of hatred and anger in those little sharingan eyes. That hesitance had given Madara the time to pull his brother back and apologize on his behalf.

 _The Young Dragon._

Madara looked at his brother silently walking by his side carrying with him the jar that held the ashes of their three brothers. The boy was so silent, his eyes so vacant, a permanent melancholy look etched in his young face. Madara had only watched the corpses of his brothers, but Naruto was the one who watched them die one after another in front of his eyes.

Izuna's death had broken something in him and yet it had ignited something dangerous as well.

He was brought out of his thoughts by the roars and cheers from the mass of people waiting for them. Despite what he had suffered in the past week, Madara couldn't help but feel relief flood him at the sight of his home and his people.

Tajima nodded at the cheers and started giving quite a promising speech of many more victories against the Senju. And when he introduced the rebirth of Sharingan among his two sons, the entire clan gasped.

Madara was stunned to see the cheering that erupted on the announcement which was even greater than the one of their victory. Some older and younger clansmen actually teared up on realizing their beloved Sharingan was back in their blood.

It was a historical occasion.

And his father was basking in all that praise and glory, his dark eyes shining with even greater ambition.

He then pointed towards his two sons...

"My two sons achieved victory for us and together they shall help our House conquer the whole world. Today before the gods, pledge your loyalty and service to Madara Uchiha- **The Invincible Dragon** , and Naruto Uchiha- **The Young Dragon**."

"The future of House Uchiha"

Madara's eyes slightly widened when without hesitation his entire clan knelt as he stepped forward. When he activated his sharingan, he saw all their hopes and dreams with his new eyes. They were trusting him to win their lost glory back and get them justice.

And he would not fail them.

He looked at his father and saw the man staring at him with absolute pride and confidence. Madara remembered seeing his brothers and his clansmen dying at the hands of those bastard Senjus and felt his anger alongwith determination rise.

"I will bring **_Fire_** and **_Blood_** to the Senjus!" he roared, raising his sword in the air.

The clan roared alongside him and praised him over and over. It was then time for his brother to step forward, the baby of their family, one who was always overlooked by the clan but now was the center of their attention.

But one look in Naruto's eyes showed Madara his brother was different. His next words proved that...

"We lost nearly 150 of our people in this battle including three of my brothers" said Naruto sadly, as Tajima felt his blood boil.

"The people will sing songs about their sacrifice" rebuffed Tajima, and saw the disappointment in his son's eyes.

"Yes. But my brothers and our dead warriors will never hear them"

That struck each and every person of their clan as they stared at the numerous jars containing the ashes of their fallen. The excitement died down as people realized the price that was paid.

And Naruto stepped forward.

"We fought without strategy like wild animals. We fought without armor believing in our superiority, we are powerful warriors but we are men as well. We bleed and die just like the Senju, if not for the sacrifice of my brothers and Madara-nii-san's courage we would have lost" explained Naruto honestly, much to the shock, horror and bitterness that emerged in their people.

"That's enough, boy" growled Tajima,

He was utterly silenced when Naruto activated his two tomoe sharingan and glared at him. The boy swiftly turned towards their people who were just given a tight slap of reality destroying every plan Tajima had made for the near future.

"One victory does _not_ make us conquerors. This war is far from over and if we are to defeat the Senju we have to fight smarter, we have to outsmart them both on the battlefield and off it as well. We are **Uchiha** , the strongest and most noble House of this world. We are the _blood of the dragon_ and together we shall regain all that we have lost but only if we fight together, only if we learn from our mistakes." the little boy yelled like the dragon he was,

Stunned silence prevailed as Naruto unleashed his tanto to raise it in the air. The sheer amount of determination and courage in those sharingan eyes drew the complete attention of the entire clan much to Tajima and Madara's surprise.

"Are you with me?"

Madara feared his brother had spoken too much truth their people were not ready to hear. But he was proven wrong, when there was movement from amongst the warriors who had fought on the battlefield. Madara recognized the three boys who were the first to kneel followed by several dozen others.

"Naruto-sama speaks truly and I believe him. My sword is yours to command, now and always" promised Shisui Uchiha, earning a nod from the surprised young boy who had not expected any support.

"I pledge my life to you, Young Dragon" promised Itachi Uchiha,

The last boy raised his sword making the rest of the clan follow swiftly.

 **"THE YOUNG DRAGON!"** yelled Kagami Uchiha,

Naruto remained still watching his people pledge him their loyalty fully without any hesitation. Tajima was fuming, but it was Madara whose eyes widened as he saw a glimpse of someone in his little brother.

 _Izuna._

His youngest brother was not weak for he had inherited Izuna's will. And as the eldest, Madara had to protect him for Naruto was his youngest and only brother from this day.

With a smile, Madara joined his people to support his brother for the first time in his life.

* * *

Tajima watched his young son standing alone near the lake. It was a far cry from the inspiring leader who had started to win the support of their people. Madara was starting to gain popularity among the older generation, but Naruto had also developed quite a following among the younger ones with the heirs of three powerful Uchiha families pledging their lives to him.

Naruto was different.

He always had been from the moment he learned to speak. _That boy..._

"He is something else, isn't he?" asked a soft voice,

Tajima turned to face his only sibling still left in this world. Naori was still beautiful as ever with long flowing purple hair that reached her waist. Her skin was fairer than that of Tajima's and her hour glass figure had made her quite desired by many in their clan. Yet she had not married despite reaching the age of 19.

He himself was only 26 years old which was quite old in their world where not many lived past the age of 30 due to the constant warfare. His sister had inherited all the grace and beauty of their mother, while Tajima had followed his own father to become the current leader of their House.

Naori had been a fighter once until she lost her only lover against the Sarutobi clan. It made her lose the will to fight and she retired. But despite Tajima's worries, she had proven herself quite useful by managing the administration of their clan. She was also the representative of their clan among their few allies and was often away for months to keep those alliances breathing.

And he only allowed himself to relax around her. So when she placed her hand on his arm and hugged him, Tajima didn't resist.

For only now when it was just him and his sister, did he allow himself to remember his three sons who had perished. They had died as true shinobi and he would make sure their sacrifice would be remembered by their people.

"I'm sorry, Brother" she whispered sadly,

"Do not dishonor my sons, Naori" warned Tajima, but his tone was neither harsh or cold.

"They were boys, Brother"

He gently broke the hug and looked at her closely. She should be already married by now giving birth to their next generation. But then again, his sister had always been a wild one and only her lover's death had stolen her fire. In that way, she was not much different from Naruto as they both did what they wanted.

She touched his swollen eye and laughed as he told her Naruto had hit him. Tajima's eyes twitched...

"You find this funny?" he growled irritatedly,

"You only have yourself to blame, Brother. Never provoke a Dragon, much less an enraged one" she chastised, glancing at her nephew who brooded all alone.

Tajima scoffed.

"He's young and foolish."

She looked at him pointedly for such a long time until he finally sighed and admitted another true fact.

"But he has a sharp mind. He infuriates so much, but he is a dragon indeed. I never thought my youngest would awaken our prized eyes and it gives me hope for him. But he is terrible with ninjutsu" said Tajima bitterly,

He narrowed his eyes when his dear sister got that same amused twinkle in her eyes.

"Brother, you can be quite dense at times" she teased,

"Watch it" he warned, as she raised an eyebrow.

"Or what? You'll harm me? Your only sister"

Tajima grit his teeth so hard but didn't say anything else. Because she was right, despite the faults of their House their one great quality was that they truly cared about the ones dearest to them. It had often lead them to great follies and suffering, but it had also kept the Uchiha stronger.

The Senju's were not the only ones who knew love for their own kind. The Uchiha's simply found it difficult to express such emotions due to their rigid customs and hard hearted society. And it was more evident to Tajima with his relationship with Naruto.

"Madara is your heir and the right one to lead the clan in the future. But he'll need his brother, now more than ever. However, the boys are different. You take Madara under your tutelage, and I'll take Naruto under mine" she offered,

"No. They are my sons, and I will train them" he said firmly, but she simply pointed at his blackened eye gifted to him by his youngest son.

"Young Dragons are dangerous creatures, brother. You have done well by Madara and the rest of your sons but Naruto is _wild_. He is more like me and the more you try to suppress him, the more he'll rebel and burn everyone around him. He needs a different touch" she insisted, as he grunted.

"You'll only make him more soft"

The icy stare he received from his sister made him regret his words. A large portion of his power came from the alliances and trade relationships she maintained for their House bringing in money, resources and support that helped them fight against the Senju's.

Naori was gentle and kind but was ruthless to those who crossed her. Including her brother.

"I'm sorry" he said reluctantly,

She gave him an easy smile that made his bitterness go away. Naori never gloated about the power she held in her hands and was simply content in supporting him from the shadows provided he gave her the respect she deserved.

They were completely different but that didn't make him love her any less.

"Fine. Handle the boy. Gods know I cannot" he muttered, earning a brief chuckle from her.

"I promise, Brother"

* * *

Madara found him still sitting near that lake even after the moon had arrived in the cloudy sky. The little boy tensed on sensing the approaching presence but relaxed a little on seeing it was his older brother.

He took a seat beside the boy who still didn't say a word so Madara pressed a lunch box in his arms.

"Eat" he insisted,

"I'm not hungry" protested Naruto, and noticed a similar lunch box in his older brother's lap.

Madara's eyebrows twitched at the defiance but then again he had not expected anything else. His brother was stubborn, after all. Izuna would have known how to make him accept, but he was gone now.

And now it left Madara the responsibility of looking after this child.

"Fine. Then I'm not eating either" he growled, and threw his lunch box in the lake.

Naruto's eyes comically widened as he gasped which soon turned into an angry growl as he glared at his brother. An act that would have seemed alien to him not a few days ago, but they were not the same boys anymore.

" _Baka_ , Aniki!" he spat, which only made Madara grin wide as he laid himself down flat on the wooden bridge.

"If you don't want to eat, fine. But I'm not eating either without you"

"I don't care"

Madara chuckled at Naruto's childish rant as he cursed him several times. It made him forget the pain of missing his dead brothers. And maybe Naruto felt the same...

Still, Naruto proved his stubbornness by not touching his lunch box Madara brought for him.

That was until his stomach growled...

 _Loudly._

The boy's cheeks flushed red as he looked away from Madara's laughing face. He affectionately ruffled the boy's hair in an effort to make him look back.

"Izuna, I said I don't-"

His voice died in his throat as he saw it was Madara staring back at him with sadness in his eyes. The two brothers went silent for several long moments until Naruto opened the lunch box and offered the refreshing food to Madara.

The boy was still not meeting Madara's eyes but the gesture said it all.

With a smile, Madara picked up the spoon and grabbed the rice. But instead of eating it himself as Naruto wanted, he presented the food to the boy.

Naruto gave him a glare in return but Madara didn't budge. The aroma of fresh food was too much for the small child who had not eaten anything since morning and he finally took his first morsel.

They ate in silence with Madara helping Naruto eat and doing the same for himself. It gave him peace and forget about his own pain as he focused on his sibling.

But Naruto's next question surprised him...

"Brother...is there a way to bring them back? A jutsu? A technique?" asked the hopeful child, looking at his prodigal brother with such desperation that made Madara sad.

"They're all gone, Naru. I'm sorry"

He truly felt awful for dashing the boy's hopes but Madara himself knew it was not possible. Their brothers were dead, their bodies reduced to ashes as custom demanded.

"I miss them" he whispered,

"Even Inabi and Yashiro?" asked Madara curiously, knowing the twins had not been kind to the boy.

"Yes. They were my brothers, all of them"

Madara's heart melted on hearing those simple words and he put the lunch box aside to wrap his arm around his young brother to bring him close. To his surprise, Naruto didn't relent and buried himself in Madara's side.

"I miss them too. And I am sorry for...not being there for you" said Madara, now realizing he had been wrong in ignoring his little brother for so long.

Naruto didn't say anything which made Madara panic,

"Just don't leave me"

Madara fought back his own tears as he gripped his little brother even more closer.

"Never" he promised,

Yet even as he said that an amused grin arrived on his lips, one which Naruto didn't fail to notice.

"Quit getting depressed and brooding all the time, or I'll bonk you on the head" teased Madara, only to receive a smirk from his brother.

"How will you even hit me when you're fat and slow?"

Madara blinked and looked at his own body to actually see if he had gained some weight only to find his normal lean and fit body. He also realized the weight of his brother on his side disappearing followed by a little rock hitting his head.

Madara's eyes twitched on seeing his little brother standing in the lake, laughing his ass off at the trick he had played on his older brother.

 **"YOU BRAT!"**

Naruto yelped as Madara roared and charged after him. He ran faster and faster but Madara finally jumped on him making them lose their chakra control as they both ended up crashing into the cold lake.

He swimmed back to the surface and gasped fresh air only to see Madara waiting for him.

He gulped.

But his brother laughed.

And Naruto laughed alongside him forgetting about the pain in their respective hearts.

Unknown to both brothers, Naori and Tajima smiled from their position in the trees.

* * *

(Next Day)

Naruto was surprised on seeing her.

He barely had hazy memories of his aunt in his short life. He remembered her flowery scent and kind eyes, her telling him stories at nights even if those occasions were rare and few. He remembered crying for her when she was gone, Izuna had said she would come back someday but he had not believed it.

And he had forgotten about her which made him feel guilty.

Atleast her smile was kind and welcoming as she gently cupped his cheek.

"You've grown up quite a lot" she commented,

"Hai"

Naori frowned at his obedient reply. It was not the nephew she remembered but then again she had been away for nearly two years and knowing Tajima this boy would have rarely had any interactions with the opposite sex.

She cursed her rigid brother again because her task had been made only more tougher. It would have been nice if this awkwardness didn't exist between them.

"Since you have awakened your sharingan, Tajima has seen fit that I take over your training while he does the same for Madara" she said patiently, as his face fell.

"Oh..." was all he said, unable to hide feeling betrayed for his father ignoring him again in favor of his older brothers. But he shouldn't have expected anything else.

Naori knelt to his level and gently grabbed his cheeks making him look in her eyes. She found it hard to believe that there was so much kindness still left in him despite what he had seen.

"He wanted to train you both together but I asked you for myself" she said with a smile, as his eyes widened in surprise and a flair of hope. It pained her to see him grasping for little crumbs of affection and care from his own family, but it only made her more determined to change this mistake.

"Really, Oba-san?" asked Naruto, and saw her eyebrows twitch at the term he used. She was freaking 19.

"Yes. And you'll call me Naori only" she informed,

"But..."

She poked his forehead earning a yelp followed by a scowl from him which turned into a mischievous grin as he did the same to her with his little finger.

Naori grinned on seeing his triumphant expression, maybe her wild nephew was still alive in there after all.

"I'm glad you are back. I missed you" he said happily,

"So am I"

She hugged him thinking her own child would have had the same brown hair as him if Itami had lived. It pained her everyday thinking about her dead lover and the family they had wanted to have.

When they parted she presented him with a slip of paper which he looked at curiously.

"What is it?" he asked,

"Tajima told me about your problems with fire ninjutsu"

He cringed and looked away in shame but she gripped his hand making him look back at her.

"It's not necessary for everyone to have the same chakra types. Not all Uchiha are fire masters..." she suggested, earning a frown from him.

"But I'm a dragon"

She laughed kindly at his silly remark. Her clan's obsession with hailing themselves as descendants of that mythical creature who may or may not have existed was quite strong.

"Well, _little dragon_. Then I'd like you to pour your chakra into the paper" she instructed,

"Why?"

He gulped when her eyebrows twitched in annoyance but unlike his twin older brothers she didn't bonk him on the head.

"Just do it, please. You'll be surprised"

"Okay"

He hesitantly poured some of his chakra into the strange paper clearly worried and excited about the results. He frowned when half of the paper became wet and the other half wrinkled. Looking back at his aunt, he saw she seemed quite surprised.

"What does it mean?" he asked curiously,

"It means you are a **Water** and **Lightning** type user. You can still use the other three types of chakra and their jutsu but it will be challenging. But water and lightning are your strength, something you can truly master" she explained,

"But shouldn't an Uchiha be a fire user?" questioned Naruto with a frown,

"Silly if all of us were fire users then it would be easy for the enemy to defeat us. We need to have diversity in our ranks and the attacks, Madara is an exceptional fire and wind user. With this, you can complement your brother on the battlefield and have his back"

Naori saw that her careful explanation had an impact on him as his frown disappeared. He still wanted to master fire but linking his ability over water and lightning to that of protecting his older brother had made him more accepting of his different power.

''What type are you?"

"Fire and Lightning. But I know some good water jutsu as well, however mastering them will be your job. But I don't see why with your sharingan you can have much difficulty"

"Then let's get to work"

Naori blinked when he yelled excitedly before running towards the lake to start his training. Gods, the boy was hyper active but it could also prove beneficial for his training.

What she had also wanted to tell him was that apart from his training in combat, she would also be taking over his teaching in matters of clan politics and art of diplomacy. Something which Tajima could not teach his sons in a thousand years.

Madara did not have the patience or tact for the soft skills, he was more of a warrior. But Naruto had a way with words and this ability if molded properly could prove beneficial to their clan in the future.

Madara would be the next leader of their clan but if the Uchiha were to win he would need his diplomatic and reasonable brother to gather new allies and also turn lost ones back to their side.

It was the only way they could weaken and defeat the Senju.

With those thoughts in mind, Naori walked towards her nephew in whom she could see her successor.

* * *

Naori watched in surprise as her nephew followed her hand seals perfectly without a single mistake. His dark red eyes intently staring at her movements and capturing them magnificently. She had heard stories about the Sharingan and its power but now she was seeing it in reality.

She launched a small water dragon in his direction and he replicated her action by launching a smaller version of his own water dragon. The two beasts clashed ferociously but his power over water won out as her beast was defeated. Still, she didn't give him any rest by charging in straight for him.

Their blades clashed next and she put in a lot of her strength yet he parried her blows with ease. He didn't try to overwhelm her for it was pointless due to her superior strength but his speed was dangerous. He knew he was smaller and was using it to his advantage by aiming for her legs and even her sexual organ.

 _Ruthless._

Suddenly he went for her legs making her jump in the air in reflex. That was when she made the mistake of gazing in his eyes...

She froze.

The next second a blade was pointed at her heart and his triumphant grin clearly visible on his face.

"I win"

 _"Is that so?"_

He froze as her voice resonated from behind him and a sharp blade was pointed at his neck. The Naori in front of him vanished into smoke.

 ** _Shadow Clone._**

"Damn it!" he cursed, earning a bop on the head.

"You did well. But you lack experience, don't get cocky just because you have the sharingan for your enemy will always have their own tricks. And always make sure you take an enemy's head off on first chance. Limbs and organs can be lost yet they cannot stop a warrior from fighting. But a head gone would be their end" she warned, removing her kunai from his neck.

He turned back to see her soaked from head to toe. Her long purple hair completely wet and her dress hugging tightly to her womanly figure. He blushed and looked away.

Naori raised an eyebrow at his reaction even more when he turned away.

"Naruto, what are you doing?" she asked seriously,

"You...well...it's...not...honorable...to..." he stuttered, making her grin. Who would have thought the little brat had decency unlike most males of her clan. But his honor was his flaw and could get him killed.

"Have you seen a women naked?" she inquired, wondering what her brother had trained his boys in. Kunoichi had been the death of many great warriors with their seduction.

"No. It's **_gross_** "

She couldn't hold back her laugh on hearing his comment. _Such a child_ , one day he would regret saying such a thing and say the opposite. Naori was sure but that was for another time.

Yet she couldn't resist her chance to tease him more. He was adorable.

"Why do you think so?"

She could feel him scowl on being prodded further on this uncomfortable topic. So she sweetened the deal...

"Answer me and I'll teach you something new" she offered, and he hesitantly turned back. His eyes still on the lake beneath them. The boy loved to learn more.

"I...don't...know...your...chest...is...weird...and...Inabi...said...you...don't...have-" he blushed crimson unable to finish his words despite her generous offer.

Naori smirked but gently patted his head.

"Alright. Maybe someday you will change your opinion. But always be wary of women, Naruto. They can give life but take it back as well. You are honorable in that aspect and I want you to remain the same for it will prevent you from making any mistakes" she warned,

"Hai" he replied, not understanding her full meaning but deciding to follow her advise nonetheless.

She saw the afternoon sun shining brightly alongwith the groan of his stomach as he scratched the back of his head.

"Come, we'll have lunch" she offered, as his eyes lit up.

"Ramen?"

She smacked her forehead at his unhealthy obsession. Izuna had spoiled him limitlessly in this area.

"No, _you fool_. Something healthy that will allow your body to grow big and strong like Madara. You want that, don't you?" she asked seriously, knowing she always had to link her demands to his benefit or he would protest. _Stubborn child._

He sighed.

"Alright"

"Good. After that we'll have our academic lessons" she grinned,

 **"WHAT?"**

* * *

(Midnight)

Sneaking out of town had always been a fun activity for him. Managing to get past the guards who always boasted that none could enter or leave without their permission made him laugh. The only drawback was that it had made Izuna worried which was why he didn't do this more often.

But his brother was gone.

And Naruto was trying to live again. He enjoyed the growing affection Madara showed towards him and the return of his aunt had started to fill the void in his heart.

Naori was kind to him but quite strict when it came to his training. She was bold and didn't hesitate in making him uncomfortable with her body or her _abhorring_ love of books. He still shuddered on remembering spending his entire afternoon learning about different ninja clans and their histories.

Who leaded those clans, their children's names and what parts of the world they controlled.

The information was too much for him to remember but Naori was adamant that he learn it. When he had argued they had servants to remember such information she had bonked him so hard that it still hurt.

He had fallen in line after that and she rewarded his co-operation by taking him to eat ice cream with her.

He ran through the vast forests enjoying the feel of cold air hitting his skin. The sound of leaves rustling and little animals scurrying away from him made him laugh.

This was the true meaning of _freedom._

Here in the wild, he didn't have to pretend. Didn't have to mind his manners and choose each word carefully.

He could say anything, do anything, and it gave him immense joy. His father didn't care where he was and it would not matter if he was home by morning. Madara was a deep sleeper and always slept in his personal chambers, so there was no chance of his brother discovering him missing from their home.

Naori was busy doing some work and he doubted she would find the need to see him this late at night.

Izuna had been the only one who worried and made sure he was in his bed at most times. Naruto stopped his run as the memory of his brother's last breath hit him again.

 _Be...happy...little...brother._

Madara had warned him not to dwell in sorrow too much and being around Naori helped. Yet he also missed Izuna's smile, their ramen meals and long walks across town. He missed the piggyback rides his brother always offered him despite the frowns that earned him from the other clansmen.

He fought back the tears and ran fast uncaring of where he was stepping. Only if he had been faster, only if he had been stronger...

His brothers would still be alive.

 _Why had he been so weak?_

 **SNAP**

He yelped in pain as the tree branch beneath his feet broke sending him tumbling down the small hill. He tried to catch some grip in order to stop his fall and felt terror seep in his heart as the deep valley started getting closer and closer.

But there was nothing to grab, nothing to stop his descent to death and his heart stopped when he felt the ground going missing from beneath him.

He closed his eyes not wanting to see himself die a horrible death. It was all so dark and cold as he continued to fall...

He didn't know what took over him but he opened his eyes only to see his life flash before his eyes.

All the good and bad times, the memories of his brothers, their victories and defeats, tears and joys.

Maybe he would see them again soon enough.

However all those thought vanished from his mind as in the darkness he saw something. It was distant but growing larger and larger.

His eyes widened in horror as he saw something that stopped his heart.

The pair of deep red eyes full of hatred.


	3. Madness

**Thank you for the reviews and support. I hope you continue it.**

 **Chapter 3**

 **Madness**

* * *

He stared in shock right into the pair of deep red eyes burning with so much hatred and anger.

In that moment, he knew his death would be much more horrible and painful than he originally imagined.

Yet even as his final moments tickled by and he approached closer and closer to the rising form hidden in the dark shadows bubbling with a monstrous amount of negativity, something within him snapped.

 _You're the blood of the dragon._

He remembered his father's words to his older brothers whenever they encountered something impossible to accomplish. Those words had always excited Inabi and Yashiro, and made Izuna as well as Madara become more bolder.

But he had never understood the meaning behind those simple and silly words.

Yet as death came his way, it was those same simple and silly words that gave him strength.

 _A dragon never surrenders, A dragon never bows to anyone, A dragon fights and fights until he defeats his enemies._

Grabbing twin sharp kunai's from his pouch, he sent them flying towards the nearby rock walls but not before tying ninja wire on them. For once, he was thankful of Izuna's warnings to always be prepared even if he just went out for a stroll near their clan's borders.

As the weapons connected he gripped one end of the strings that made him fly straight towards the nearby rock. When his feet connected to the hard surface, he was ready and immediately channeled chakra that made him stick firmly to the surface.

He unleashed his tanto just in time as the creature beneath him growled angrily that sent tremors across the darkened valley.

His eyes widened when a massive tail rose from the shadows aimed right at him.

Determined to survive, he sprinted down the rock surface at speeds he never thought himself capable of. Massive chunks of rocks and debris flew over him as the tail shattered the spot where he was previously standing.

His enemy was more smart than he originally thought as it continued lashing out more and more giant tails in an effort to splatter his brains, but he had always been faster than all of his brothers. And despite his wish of seeing his dead brothers again, he now realized Madara would be heartbroken if he died.

His eldest brother was not bad, even if he had been distant all these years. And Madara had showed that he truly cared about him, and now he wanted to know his eldest and only living brother, to support him, to protect him just as Izuna had protected him.

And for that one wish he would not give up.

He would find a way to survive no matter who or what he would have to face.

Going back up was not possible for the creature was hell bent on stopping that possibility, so that left him only one choice.

As the ground neared to his relief, he made a quick jump narrowly avoiding being smashed to death courtesy of another tail.

He immediately adopted his battle stance and activated his prized dojutsu glaring out at the massive creature.

And what he saw both stunned and terrified him.

And it seemed he was not the only one to experience those feelings as the now revealed beast flinched as his terrifying red eyes saw its enemy.

 **"Those eyes..."**

It's voice was even more heavy and rumbled across the empty valley as a battlecry. Despite the rising fear in his heart, Naruto gripped his tanto firmly glaring down at the massive _Nine Tailed Fox_ standing in front of him.

 **"An Uchiha..."**

If possible, the hate and anger in the monster's eyes increased ten fold as it snarled.

"Are you going to attack me again?" asked the boy in an unnervingly calm voice,

The fox momentarily paused staring at the little runt and was surprised when the brat had not tried to flee. Either he was foolish like most kids were, especially those of his mad clan, or he was more bold than Kurama had imagined.

 **"You're not afraid..."**

It was just a statement from the fox but evoked not a single reaction from the stoic boy. When the monstrous animal glared harder at the _insect_ before him, it was then the child spoke.

"I am a _shinobi_. I won't kill you if you let me go, but if you persist then I _will_ fight you" answered the boy fiercely,

The beast laughed.

 **"What makes you think a stupid runt like you can even harm a scratch on me? I can crush you in a flash, brat"** mocked the fox,

"Maybe. But I will still fight with all I've got..."

 **"Why?"** asked the curious fox,

"Because I don't want to die"

The beast again laughed at the pitiful answer expected from every human, yet the boy's gaze unnerved him for he neither exploded in anger or even scowled. He stared back at the fox with the same determined gaze which made the fox curious, most people would have pissed themselves, fought back, or just tried to run away.

This little one had done none of that.

 **"You will die. Either by my hands or some other moron _shinobi_ out there. Children like you don't survive long in this world, yet you still fight. Why?"** asked the fox curiously, momentarily keeping his desire to crush the boy at bay if only to find his answer. It had been quite a while since another foolish human crossed his path or tried to attack him.

"My brother would be sad if I died. And I don't want him to be sad again. _Not anymore_ " answered the boy quitely,

The fox became silent staring at the boy with a gaze the little Uchiha could not understand. Just when he thought the beast was about to attack again, it spoke.

 **"You are already cursed enough to be born into that mad cult you call _A Clan_. What's worse you inherited these wretched eyes when I thought I would never see this power again in my life. You think they will make you powerful? All these eyes have ever brought to its wielder is misery and pain. It would actually be a mercy if I killed you here"** said the fox frankly,

The boy didn't say a word and only pointed his tanto forward which made the beast scoff.

 **"Go. I spare your pitiful life"** mocked the fox,

Naruto blinked in surprised knowing that he was probably given a once in a lifetime chance, something this beast would not have given to anyone else. Yet he didn't want to turn his back to the fox only to be stabbed from behind.

The creature must have recognized the look making it snarl.

 **"I am _not_ showing you mercy, stupid boy. Anybody who has ever wielded The Sharingan before never met a good fate, they all die screaming in pain. A day will come when you will wish that I killed you here..."** warned the fox,

"We'll see about that" replied Naruto sharply,

 **"Heh, you've got some balls. Pretty impressive for a shitty little brat..."** said the amused fox,

"I will not tell anyone about this meeting or the fact that you live here so close to our borders. You have _my word_ " said Naruto honestly, placing his weapon back in its sheath.

When he stared back at the fox, if possible it seemed even more disappointed than before.

 **"Not only do you belong from a mad clan, but you are an even bigger fool with that sense of loyalty and honor that you have towards your clan. Does that make you feel better?"** snarled the fox, receiving an icy stare from the boy.

"Maybe my family is mad and I am too. But without my loyalty and honor, what is the difference between _you_ and _me_? I will fight and die for my family no matter how bad you say they are, what do you fight for?" asked Naruto harshly,

The air around them grew thick with hatred and anger as the fox looked down at the ground hissing fiercely...

 **"Go. Before I decide to kill you..."**

Naruto didn't need anymore warning as he jumped on the rock surface and instantly started running back towards the surface at great speed.

And as he continued to run away, he missed the fox staring back at his disappearing form with a heavy frown.

 **"Foolish boy"**

* * *

He didn't stop running even when he climbed out of the dark valley, his legs refusing to stop as he sailed past trees at great speed. His heart threatened to burst out of his chest, and he was sweating profusely as he continued to remember just what he had encountered moments ago.

More importantly, he had _survived_ by some truly awesome luck.

For there was no way in hell he could have defeated that monster, not even Madara, any other Uchiha, or even his own father could defeat that beast. He had felt that unending sea of vile chakra in that beast, felt its hate, the anger, the desire to murder.

Not even the _entire_ Uchiha clan combined could defeat that monster.

It was the reason why he had promised not to tell the fox's location to anyone lest any idiots come out there to try to enslave the monster only to get themselves killed.

If things had turned out differently, he would have been forced to fight the fox.

And he would have died, there was no doubt about that.

But strangely, the beast had spared his life and his words...

What did he mean the Uchiha's were mad? Sure, his family was too uptight and arrogant but they couldn't be insane. He refused to believe that, no matter what that stupid fox said.

 _The Sharingan only brings pain and misery..._

All he had ever heard from every single Uchiha was how great this power was, or how lucky Naruto was to awaken it. But if he could trade these eyes for his dead brothers, Naruto would do so in a heartbeat for the pain of losing them haunted him every moment over whatever power these eyes gave him.

It was not worth it.

And as he realized that fact, he knew there was some bitter truth in the fox's words.

And there was a hell of a lot of things Naruto didn't know about his dojutsu, his clan, or even what type of dangerous monsters lurked in the real and dangerous world.

All these years he had lived a sheltered and protected life under Izuna's watch, but now that veil was dropping very fast.

He had already seen the barbarism and murder humans were capable of inflicting on each other, the pain of losing your loved ones right before your very eyes, the power of hatred that could drive even the most noble or weakest man to momentary insanity, of men's unending desire for ever more power and greater ambition.

Finally, he stopped as he reached the clan settlement and the secret passage he had created for himself over the years.

His head was spinning from all these overbearing thoughts, but if one thing was certain was the fact that the Uchiha Clan was _his_ family. The strange but caring Madara was his brother, attractive but strict Naori his aunt, and ambitious and cold Tajima his father.

Walking towards a nearby tree, the boy knelt and placed the edge of his tanto on the grass, eyes burning intensely with determination.

"Izuna...Yashiro...Inabi..."

He wished to see even a ghost reflection of his lost siblings but all he saw was the blank bark of the tree before him.

"I will protect them all, no matter what happens"

Taking a deep breath, he said the word on which he would live his life.

 _"I promise"_

* * *

(Next Morning)

Naruto was quite surprised when he received the summons and had to hastily prepare himself in order to not be late for that man never tolerated any weakness or lethargy.

It was why Naruto found himself donning his finest Clan clothes and donning his newly forged armor. He was fully armed in order to be ready for the daily training session that he would definitely have with Naori afterwards, for no matter what the reason an Uchiha trained everyday.

When he met the man near the holy temple, the air around them turned frosty as they both looked at each other.

And then Tajima did something Naruto never saw him doing, atleast with him.

 _He_ _smiled._

But it was not one of joy or pride, but that of even greater ambition and plans that lurked in the man's eyes.

"Naori tells me you have potential" said Tajima frankly, directly getting to the matter without any pleasantries.

"Well she's not blind, unlike _few_ people I know" replied Naruto icily, earning a raised eyebrow from his father.

"Do you hate me, boy?"

Naruto chose not to answer and settled for giving a fierce glare which made Tajima look at their clan settlement laid out below the mountain on which the temple was situated.

"You've always been funny, strange and innocent. Believe it or not, I don't hate you. _But I don't love you either_ "

The barely six year old boy had known this fact his entire life but to hear it being said in words was like a sword brutally being jabbed through his heart. And it hurt, but he didn't blink, he didn't tear up, he didn't glare.

He just stared.

"Why?" he asked simply, without any accusation or expectation.

Tajima's fists clenched and for a moment Naruto saw the rare pain in those harsh eyes, something the man never did even when his sons died.

"You took away the _one_ thing I ever wanted above all. You _stole_ her from me, and _nothing_ can ever fill the hole she left behind"

The sheer amount of anger and pain present in Tajima's eyes was enough to make his youngest son realize why things had turned out this way between them.

"Mother..." said Naruto sadly,

"You are so much like _her_ that everyday it hurts to see you just _standing_ before me while she remains dead. Hikari was warned about problems with her pregnancy, I told her to abort to keep her safe. But she _chose_ to give you life, forsaking her own. I _loved_ her more than anything in this world, even my sons. But why do you think she chose to die?" asked Tajima harshly,

Naruto found it hard to stop himself from tearing up knowing that his mother died for him. It hurt worse than the scorns and ignorance from his family all these years, for it made the hatred his brothers had shown towards him and the distance his father kept from him justifiable.

 _For he killed the one thing they all loved._

"I don't know..." he replied sadly,

"It's the **_family_ _name_ ** that lives on, it's all that matters. _Not you, your honor, or your beliefs_. We all serve the Clan and the ones above our station. I want you to stop acting like a fool and become the man you were meant to be. Not tomorrow, or the day after... ** _now_** " said Taijima seriously, looking his son right in the eye.

"If I do that, will things change between us?" asked Naruto, his voice barely above a whisper.

 _"Never"_

Naruto lowered his gaze to the ground but was stopped when a hand was placed on his shoulder making him look back at his father.

"But I can be proud of you"

He saw nothing but plain honesty reflected in those dark black eyes. This man would never love him, and yet...

"You're _my son_ , you've _always_ been my son no matter what either of us feel. I will do my duty towards you, but I expect you to do yours as well. For a man to rule he must sometimes do unpleasant things to his enemies and allies like, but it also earns him wrath just the same. I am able to rule well because Naori does things that may not be possible for me to do, she keeps our clan running from the shadows. You are the _younger son_ , and as such it will be your duty to support Madara who shall succeed me in the same way that Naori supports me now. That is your job, do that with all you've got and you will make me and this clan proud. _Do you understand, Naruto?_ " asked Tajima seriously,

Naruto nodded looking right back at his father...

"I will _never_ love you, Father. But Madara is my brother, my _only_ brother I still have. And there is _nothing_ in this world that I wouldn't do for him" promised Naruto fiercely, earning a cold smirk from the older man.

"You are an Uchiha, alright"

"But you **_will_** give me what I want. No questions asked" demanded Naruto,

"If it is within my power to give and if you do your duty well, then you will get all you want. I promise you that" said Tajima honestly,

Sparing a final nod, Tajima watched as his son walked away proud and tall.

But he never saw the silent tears that fell from the young boy's eyes.

* * *

Days flew away as quick as the wind, weeks passed in the blink of an eye turning into long months. All the while Naori had stood watching as the boy she adored changed right before her very eyes.

Where once shined innocence and joy, was now replaced by a permanent harsh and grim gaze.

When he once complained of reading and writing, but now he did what she asked him to without any questions. He did what he was commanded to without blinking an eye.

He did one thing and one thing alone.

 _He learned._

She had never seen an Uchiha pour so much passion in their training before, day and night he practiced until he collapsed from exhaustion. It was as if he was possessed by something that drove him forward and forward.

In a span of six months, he who was once weak now stood as one of the finest water and lightning style ninjutsu fighters. His Genjutsu had became even more dangerous with his sharingan, and while his Taijutsu was average unlike Madara who was a monster in that arena...

Naruto was the _finest swordsman_ Naori had seen in the entire new generation of Uchiha's.

He was quick as the wind and flexible like a snake, and when he attacked he would carve his enemies in half _._

 _No hesitation, No fear, No Mercy._

He laughed, he joked, he smiled, but the light in his eyes was gone. And it broke her heart for Naruto had been the only one who had shown her a new possibility the Uchiha's could take, he was different, but someone had crushed his spirit in an irreversible way.

She had tried talking to him, urged him to open up, but he was always made some silly excuses or said everything was fine.

 _But it wasn't._

She had confronted Tajima for her brother could be the only one capable of reducing Naruto to this state, but all she had gotten in reply was denial of any involvement of Tajima in this matter. Naori knew it was a lie, but she had no proof and her brother was difficult enough already.

However, things were not so dark despite everything. For once in a while, she would catch a glimpse of the old and true Naruto, the kind and gentle boy around Madara. It made her happy to see those two get along better than ever.

Madara despite his busy schedule as clan heir did his very best to spend time with his brother. Corrected his mistakes and always cheered him up, something which Naori could never do much to her disappointment.

And that was the only thing that gave her hope.

She watched the boy seated beside her as they both observed the setting sun in the sky.

"Are you afraid? Tomorrow is a big day for you" she said gently,

"I am ready" he said, holding his new sword firmly in his right hand.

He stiffened when a pair of gentle but strong arms wrapped around his chest from behind followed by a deeply pleasant scent invading his senses as Naori laid her face next to his cheek.

"Naori..."

He still felt strange calling his aunt by her name knowing it was not proper or respectful. But she had insisted to the point of bonking him on the head whenever he didn't do so.

"Are you alright?" she asked worriedly,

"I am fine"

He winced as she pinched his cheek rather harshly making him glare at her but softened on seeing the look in her eyes.

"What am I to you, Naori?" he asked, his eyes looking anywhere but at her eyes afraid of her answer.

"You're my nephew, my student, my friend. Why do you ask that?" she asked with a frown,

"Please don't lie to me. Just tell me what you _really_ want from me, you didn't just spend all these months training me for nothing. I am the younger son, _a spare_ , someone important like you would never bother with someone like me unless they want something" he said honestly,

The slap that hit his cheek sent a tremors down his entire body and when he looked back at her, Naruto couldn't help but flinch on seeing the raw fury and hurt in her eyes.

"How **_dare_** you say that?" she hissed furiously,

" _Nothing_ is free in this world, Naori. Everybody always wants something, be they father, the clan, or you. Nobody cared about me for all these years, but now that I have the Sharingan and three of my brothers are dead suddenly everyone starts taking an interest in me. All they want is my power and what I can do for them, maybe except for Madara. So please just tell me what you want..." he requested, unable to hide his sadness.

She stared wide eyed at this child unable to hide her shock or pain on hearing him say such cruel things. What pained her even more was the fact most of it was all true.

"Naruto, you're _my family_. I don't need anything from you..." she whispered, and flinched when he glared back.

"You abandoned me"

A faint memory of a three year old young boy with tears in his eyes came haunting back in her heart. Even after all these years she had never forgotten the hurt and pain in those young eyes, or the sight of that child crying himself to exhaustion in Izuna's arms as she walked away from their lives to fulfill the duty towards their clan.

It had been the right thing to do, the necessary job to keep the Uchiha still in the game of power, but never had she thought the hurt it would bring to that one boy.

She had thought him young, that he would forget her, but he never did.

"The only thing I had in this world was Izuna and you. Then you just walked away, never looking back. You never loved me, did you? But it's okay, I killed my own mother and my brother so it's okay. But why does it still hurt?" he asked painfully, clutching his heart with his small hands.

 _"What?"_

Naori stared in horror and eyes full of tears as he got out of her embrace and stared at the lake with melancholy ever present in his eyes.

The very next moment a shadow plopped down beside the young boy startling them both, and before they could even blink a hard bop connected with Naruto's head making him wince, as he stared at the harsh glare of his older brother.

"You have _me_ , you little fool" said Madara fiercely, but frowned when Naruto laughed cynically.

"How far will you go for me? Izuna always fought for me no matter against whom. You cannot do that" replied Naruto harshly,

"And what if I do?" asked Madara sternly, all playfulness gone from his eyes.

"Even against Father? Even against our clan? Against the entire world?"

Naruto's eyes widened when Madara didn't blink nor did he flinch even for a single second. His eldest brother just stared right into his eyes.

"I will **_burn_** the entire world if it makes you happy and keeps you safe" promised Madara,

"Why?" asked Naruto sadly, tears brimming in his young eyes.

Strong arms wrapped around his smaller form pulling him into what was the most fiercest embrace of his life. He felt himself crushing but oddly it only served to lessen his pain as Madara whispered in his ear...

"Because I _can't_ do this without you. You are my _youngest_ brother, my _last_ brother. If I lose you too, then there is _nothing_ left for me to fight for. And no matter what happens little brother, _I will protect you_. Against our enemies, our own clan, and even Father. Anybody who threatens you will have to go through me first, and **I will kill them all** "

Naruto stared in shock into those sharingan eyes as Madara looked back at him with such affection that it warmed his own cold heart.

"You promise?" he asked hesitantly,

"Want me to _pinky-swear?_ " asked Madara with a smirk,

Naruto burst out laughing just imagining Madara even remotely doing such a thing. However, he was cut short when Madara again bopped him on the head.

"But if you continue getting depressed like this, I'll kill you myself" warned Madara,

"Hai, _Papa Bear_ "

Madara's eyebrows twitched violently and he cursed loudly when Naruto bolted out of his arms right across the lake with a mischievous grin on his face.

Naori blushed furiously when Madara shamelessly removed his pants and ran after Naruto yelling out a series of curses while spraying his _special water_ right behind his now terrified brother who also started yelling out a series of unique curses while trying his very best not to get drenched in the shower Madara threatened to unleash on him, all the while Madara continued laughing maniacally.

She couldn't help but realize the fact that Tajima had destroyed his own family, but fate had not been totally cruel as she saw hope not just for Naruto but for her entire clan in these two boys.

Together they could do anything in this world.

And maybe it was time for her to amend her own past mistakes and to cherish the one thing that truly mattered in this world.

 _Family._

She was fortunate enough to still have one in this cursed world of never ending warfare.

But those amends would have to wait as she settled for watching her amusing nephews bicker with each other.

However, she had not missed the lingering darkness in them both. More so, in Madara's case if that promise he just made was any indication. That boy was far more powerful than anyone in his generation or the several ones that came before him. One day he could possibly be powerful enough to even defeat the Senju.

But in those powerful eyes, she had also seen a great weakness.

 _Madara loved too much._

And he truly cared about his youngest and last brother.

Naori could only pray these two boys didn't lose each other, for the madness that would follow after such a calamity would destroy both the Uchiha and the world.

* * *

(Next Day)

The fateful day had come.

Probably the most important one in the life of every Uchiha that ever lived.

For it was today it would be decided whether they were one of the group or liabilities required to be cast aside.

 _It was Naruto's judgement day._

The young boy stood near the lake fully armed and ready with a determined look in his eyes. Almost the entire clan had gathered to watch his **_Right of Passage_**. For not only was he a future possible clan leader if Madara or Tajima died, but he also had the famed Sharingan.

And for many who had not witnessed that holy power in battle before, this was a golden chance.

Conflict had reduced considerably after their critical victory over the Senju's six months ago with both great clans taking a step back leading to a strange momentary peace. Madara would still go out on small missions but only with a small squad, leaving the rest of the clan to starve to see the Sharingan in battle.

And now their wish would be fulfilled, but Naori knew it had only increased Naruto's problems.

While he would have to face an established and recognized younger member of their clan, mostly near to his age in combat to either defeat them or atleast show a fight worthy enough to be considered strong. That would make Naruto a true Uchiha and an adult despite being only six years old.

It was a daunting task for every child but Naruto stood strong because Madara was there watching him like a hawk. The presence of his older brother had stopped any whispering or jabs that were usually thrown at the fighters by the crowd.

But everyone's eyes widened when a fully armed Tajima was the one who started walking towards Naruto.

"Father, what is the meaning of this?" asked Madara furiously,

"I will be his opponent" declared Tajima, earning gasps from their clansmen as murmuring began in the crowd furiously.

"That is unfair and against the rules, Father. Choose someone near his age just as the law demands" argued Madara, his temper rising at the injustice about to inflicted on his younger brother.

Tajima glared.

" ** _I_ ** make the rules boy. And you _will_ obey me"

Tajima and the entire clan flinched when in the blink of an eye there was a sword placed at the Clan head's neck by none other than Madara himself who had pure murder shining in his eyes.

"Long have I watched you inflict injustice on him. Not anymore" promised Madara,

" _You fool_. Can't you see that I am doing this for **_you_**? I'll give a good show to make sure he passes, but also show that he is not as strong as you. The clan cannot be divided between two brothers, only you shall lead the clan and _not him_ " hissed Tajima angrily,

"Naruto will never betray me nor has he ever desired power" said Madara confidently, staring right into his Father's cold eyes.

" _Foolish boy_. Maybe your brother doesn't want that, but if he proves himself strong today then his followers will grow day by day. There are already many in the clan that admire him, and they will one day push Naruto to overthrow you if only to satisfy their own goals. That kind of rivalry will tear the Clan apart, and I will **_not_** have that. I know the game of power better than you, so fall in line. This is my _final warning_ " said Tajima icily, ready to thrash the boy if he persisted.

But Madara didn't relent as his Sharingan activated, Naori was already moving towards her brother and nephew to stop the conflict while the crowd grew only more entranced by the spectacle.

"I will fight him"

To everyone's surprise and Madara's horror, it was Naruto who said that by unleashing his sword and pointing it at his father.

"Naruto-"

"This is _my fight_ , Nii-san. Believe in me" he requested, staring gratefully at his perplexed older brother.

Much to Tajima's surprise, Madara lowered his sword but didn't walk away without a warning.

"If you do him injustice, then consider my support towards you gone"

Tajima was about to discipline the insolent boy but Naori's pleading eyes and the stares of the entire clan stopped him. Already Naruto was corrupting the obedient and loyal Madara, and he could not have that.

With fury burning in his eyes, Tajima walked towards the battle arena as both him and his son took up positions across the lake.

"Try not to dishonor our family" warned Tajima, and was further irritated when Naruto smirked.

"Could say the same thing about you, _old man_ "

 _This insolent brat!_

Without warning, Tajima attacked.

 **"Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu (Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique)"**

A massive raging fireball was unleashed by the Uchiha patriarch sending it right at his young son burning water in its way making steam rise.

Madara held his breath when Naruto simply brought his sword forward making it glow in chakra. The older brother saw Naori smirk proudly.

The next moment Naruto vanished in a swirl of leaves.

 _Shunshin!_

Madara's eyes widened as through his Sharingan he saw Naruto literally carve the fireball in half with his sword and vanish out of the flaming aura with such speed that made Tajima gawk.

And he was not done.

Sharingan blazing, the boy weaved his hands through an intricate set of hand seals at lightning speed.

 **"Sution: Suiryudan no Jutsu (Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique)"**

Two large roaring dragons of water with hateful yellow eyes rose out of the lake and charged right at Tajima much to the shocked clan head's worry.

But experience kicked in as at the last moment Tajima made a hand seal _substituting_ himself with a nearby log that was available near the shore just in time as the water dragons tore through his position.

Naruto whirled backwards bringing his sword forward to clash against his Father's steel as the man now appeared behind him with a fast Shunshin.

And Tajima made his first mistake.

For a brief second he glared hatefully right into Naruto's eyes that now burned with an active Sharingan.

The clan spectators gasped when Tajima froze as Naruto disarmed him followed by beheading the man swiftly only for him to turn into smoke.

 _Shadow Clone._

Even with their Sharingan gone, the Uchiha's were able to maintain their dominance across the world due to their skill in the ninja arts. One of their finest traits was their great prowess with ninjutsu which had led to the development of many powerful techniques.

The Shadow Clone was one of them.

Only a handful of their clan could perform this forbidden jutsu, and even they could do it to a limited extent. But Naruto's family had always produced the strongest warriors among their clan, it was why they were the leaders and the others followed them.

And while Tajima didn't have the Sharingan, it didn't diminish the fact that he was a powerful and dangerous shinobi.

Naruto turned back and saw the real Tajima waiting for him with a proud smirk on his face.

The son prepared himself as his father raised two fingers making four _Mizu Bunshin_ rise out of the lake. All armed and possessing the same bloodthirsty grins on their faces with the intent of putting their enemy in his right place.

And then the clones charged.

Naruto charged back.

Madara was hardly grinding his teeth watching his father use so much power against Naruto, but surprisingly the young boy was holding up. Quite well in fact if the admirable and proud glances from their clansmen was a proof.

Still, it didn't make the older brother any less worried.

However, he blinked in surprise when Naruto unleashed sparks of lightning from his left hand as he came near the water clones making them scream. Within a second, Madara watched with his active sharingan that his brother's sword carved through the paralyzed clones like butter making them die.

And then the boy jumped high in the air with a ferocious battlecry descending down on the real Tajima.

The brutal kick he received across his gut stole every ounce of air out of the boy as Tajima smirked. But the gesture soon vanished when the Naruto he just kicked dissolved into water.

 ** _Mizu Bunshin!_**

 _"He copied my jutsu but without any hand seals, and when? More importantly, where is he?"_ thought Tajima quickly,

He gasped when something sharp tore through the back side of his legs as the real Naruto emerged from the lake with his sword now stained with his Father's blood.

Tajima angrily whirled back ready to pummel the insolent boy only to have him easily evade the attack.

 _Damn his Sharingan!_

While he was glad that his clan had the prestigious power back, it didn't change the fact that right now Tajima felt a slight disadvantage towards himself as his son continued to evade his attacks.

 _"He's trying to tire me out or waiting for an opening. When he gets one, he'll strike with his impeccable speed. Clever boy, but it ends now"_ thought Tajima seriously,

He was already blurring through the hand seals of one of his most dangerous moves when a shadow appeared between them.

Naori firmly grabbed Tajima's hand and stopped Naruto's own sword from attacking any further with the help of a kunai.

 **"Enough"** she commanded icily,

"The fight is _not_ over" said Tajima coldly, only to receive an equally cold look from his young sister.

"It _is_ over" she ordered,

"Are you defying me?" asked Tajima in shock,

"I will not permit you to _slaughter_ a child to satisfy your ego, Tajima. More importantly, he's _my nephew_ and I will not allow you to do him injustice" warned Naori, even as Naruto's eyes widened on seeing her stand up to his father like that.

And it was for him.

The next moment Madara also jumped in between and while he had not raised his sword like before, he looked ready enough to make a move if their Father persisted.

"He proved himself, Father. Much better than most Uchiha ever have, it's done" said Madara seriously,

Tajima heatedly glared at these two and then back at Naruto who stared back at him calmly. The boy still looked ready enough to fight but was holding himself back deferring to whatever decision the adults would make.

Then the Clan head also saw the crowd and in their eyes he saw pure admiration and pride for Naruto. All of them were also tense waiting for the next move which finally made Tajima sigh.

He placed his sword back on the scabbard on his back and saw Naruto do the same. Father and son both walked towards each other as Naori and Madara lingered nearby just in case if things got out of hand again.

"Kneel"

The boy obeyed and respectfully got down on one knee as Tajima removed his sword again and tapped twice on the boy's shoulder.

 **"Naruto, of the Uchiha Clan, you have successfully passed the Right of Passage and I hereby welcome you as a full fledged _adult_ member of our prestigious and noble clan. Make us all proud"** commanded Tajima,

Naruto thumped his clenched fist across his armored chest and looked back at his father with determination and pride burning in his eyes.

 _"I will, Father"_

Despite everything that had happened, Naruto still felt defeated when Tajima simply walked away without another word while for his other sons he always had some good words when they completed the same test.

But his disappointment was soon shadowed behind joy as Naori and Madara came forward to congratulate him.

And when Madara uplifted him on his shoulders cheering for him, with a smile Naruto watched their enthusiastic clan cheer back.

 _It was a good day._

* * *

When the pair of eyes opened again they widened in shock and disbelief as in the darkness of the valley he saw a figure waiting for him.

 **"Are you mad?"** asked the giant fox in disbelief,

Naruto grinned at the remark while showing off his official Uchiha Clan T-Shirt to the giant fox.

"Well I am an _adult_ now, so according to you I am now one of the man cult" said Naruto cheekily,

 **"Why are you here, boy?"** asked the fox with a strange sadness evident in his voice,

To his utter chagrin, Naruto simply ignored him and placed a few scrolls on the ground. With a single hand seal he opened them all and to the fox's surprise there appeared so many variety of foods.

"I am _celebrating_. Was nearby, so thought you might be hungry. What the hell are you staring at? I'm not going to finish all of this by myself" said Naruto with a smile, pointing at the hunted deer, ramen, five types of fishes, rice and many other dishes alongwith beef.

 **"Why are you here?"** asked the fox again, making the boy frown.

"It took a lot of effort to steal this food from the kitchens and I hunted this damn deer myself, fast little thing-"

 **"Why are you here?"**

To the fox's surprise the boy walked forward until they were both an inch away from each other. Naruto looked right into those demonic eyes, this time without fear and hesitation.

 _"Not all of us are mad"_

The fox had barely gotten over his shock at those words and the boy's present actions when the child extended his tiny hand forward with a bright smile on his face.

"Naruto Uchiha, son of Tajima, brother of Madara, and second heir of the main family"

The fox stared without blinking until he suddenly received a hard bop on the head making his eyes go comically wide.

"It's _bad manners_ not telling your name when someone introduces themselves to you" said Naruto with a pout,

 **"I will kill you..."** promised the fox angrily, but was again left speechless by the clarity and conviction that arrived in the jovial child's eyes.

"You would have done that when we first met. Someone powerful like you is not just hiding here in this dumbass valley so close to the Uchiha Clan border without a reason. Am I right?" asked Naruto seriously,

The fox stiffened making the boy smile.

"It took me _six months_ to figure this out and reading a hell of lot more books until I finally discovered the truth. You're a **Biju** , aren't you? A great being of chakra and power, the books called you **_Kyuubi_** and said your kind disappeared thousands of years ago when the very first war broke out. Is that correct?" asked Naruto curiously,

 **"You talk too much..."** said the fox irritatedly,

"What is your name?" asked the stubborn boy, making the fox roll his eyes.

 **"They already call me** _Kyuubi_ **. It doesn't matter what stupid humans call me"**

 _"It matters to me"_

For a moment the fox's eyes softened on hearing those words and the sincerity visible in this child's eyes. Perhaps the old man had been wrong, maybe this time things could change...

 **"You're annoying..."** muttered the Kyuubi, making the boy roll his eyes.

"Why, thank you. _Giant stupid fox._.." replied Naruto with a smirk,

 ** _"I'll kill you"_** growled the beast,

"Please do so"

 ** _"I'll eat you"_**

" _Why?_ I brought you so much good food. _You're mean..._ " said Naruto with fake tears rolling down his cheeks,

 **"GAH!"**

Naruto chuckled when the fox roared madly out of frustration before banging his giant head on the ground creating a minor tremor across the entire valley.

 **"Kurama..."**

 _"Huh?"_ asked the boy confusedly, the fox was barely speaking in whispers.

 **"My name is _Kurama_..."** said the fox irritatedly, earning a bright smile from the boy.

"A nice name. It's good to meet you..." said Naruto happily, and forcefully shook his tiny hand with one of the beast's massive paws.

When he looked up, he saw Kurama staring at him with a strange look present in his demonic eyes.

 **"Are you not afraid of me, child?"** asked the fox seriously,

" _I was before_. But for the past six months I have observed you from afar, you don't interact with anyone or go out for hunting. You just stay here in this dark valley sleeping, at first I thought you a lazy asshole, then I thought maybe you were protecting my clan. But none of our books mentioned someone like you as an ally, and then I remembered you saying that my clan has madness passed down among itself. And then I finally realized..."

Kurama had been left gawking by the deduction of this young child, one he proved by looking the fox right in the eyes with a knowing look.

"You are _watching_ my clan, waiting for _something_ to happen. I don't know what it is, but I guess it is not pretty or good for my people" said Naruto coldly,

 **"You're a smart one. Never thought those _sister-fuckers_ would manage to create an intelligent one again..."** mocked the beast, making Naruto frown.

"Those days are long gone. _In-breeding_ has been reduced in our clan, and unlike our ancestors we don't kill each other now. _Kinslaying_ is the worst crime an Uchiha can ever commit, and it is punishable by **death**. Maybe my clan was bad before, but we can change. _Not all of us are crazy psychopaths..._ " argued Naruto fiercely,

 **"Is that why you are here? Setting an example?"** asked Kurama with a smirk,

"Yes"

The fox laughed but this time it didn't have the mocking edge, instead the beast sounded amused.

 **"It won't work, boy. My vow is absolute and I will fulfill it should that dark day ever come. Even you cannot stop me from doing my duty"** warned Kurama, but still the child didn't back down.

"Well then, it becomes _my duty_ to make you see my people in a different light. I'll make you change your mind..." promised Naruto confidently,

 **"Quite a declaration. Not sure you can fulfill it..."** challenged the Biju,

"We won't know unless _I try_ "

With those words, the boy brought the dear forward and placed it before the fox.

 **"You're a strange child..."** muttered the fox in an annoyed voice, and while he had no need to eat or drink he did grab the dear in his large jaw if only to humor the grinning child before him.

 _"Get used to it. We're friends now..."_

* * *

(Few Days Later)

Madara and his squad charged through the borders at top speed, anxiety and fear evident in their eyes.

They had set out a few days ago to destroy a few Sarutobi that had tried to raid one of the villages protected by the Uchiha. While the monkeys had been all killed, Madara had received a distress call right from their hometown.

That had been an hour ago and he had not wasted a single second to return.

His group was tired but still they all ran as fast as they could, the fear for the safety of their families burning far and wide in their terrified hearts. Had the Senju's attacked in full force?

Or some other group was about to attack their borders?

Madara stormed through the gates not even glancing at the guards, his sharingan eyes locked on the monstrous fire burning in the place where the holy Uchiha Temple once stood.

He took to the roofs jumping across houses not even looking back to see if his followers were behind him or not.

After several long minutes, he arrived at the site.

And what he saw stopped his heart cold.

Around him were dozens upon dozens of their clansmen, many trying to put out the fire with water jutsu, while others remained motionless in horror.

For there in front of them were nearly a dozen bodies.

 _All Uchiha._

 _Men, women, even young children cut down like animals._

 _Their horrified open eyes staring blankly into the dark night._

The holy grounds of their temple now ruined with the blood of their own family that soiled the once green grass in red.

And in the middle of the massacre was the person being glared upon hatefully by the entire clan.

The young boy of six sat in a wooden chair with his bloodstained sword in his hands. His Uchiha attire soiled with the blood, flesh and dirt lying around him.

Madara stopped breathing when a pair of familiar eyes looked back at them all.

But where there was once joy and innocence lay a _fully activated sharingan_ with three bright tomoes.

And when those same haunting and terrifying eyes so full of darkness looked back at him, Madara could only say one word..

 _Naruto._


	4. Identity

**Thank you for the support. Hope you continue it.**

 **Chapter 4**

 **Identity**

* * *

Madara couldn't move nor could he breathe watching his young brother sitting in the midst of the massacre with that bloodstained sword in his hands. Time seemed to have stopped for the elder sibling as neither the sight of the dead bodies of his clansmen or the chaos happening all around bothered Madara.

All he could care and focus upon was the look in his brother's eyes.

This was not the same brother so full of joy and innocence. One who was far more honorable and kind than most Uchiha's of this generation.

No, the person sitting in that chair was someone else.

For in those eyes, there was hidden unspeakable horror and immeasurable pain. It could be hard to discern behind the dark glare the young boy was currently sporting, but Madara knew him better than everyone else present here.

Knew that his brother was stronger than everyone of them, both in strength and character despite all the evidence that said otherwise.

Nearly a dozen Uchiha guards fully armed marched towards the alone boy but all stopped when the bloodstained Naruto Uchiha rose from the chair.

"Stop before I _kill_ you all" warned Naruto, without a single hint of emotion in his voice.

Every last one of the Uchiha's sneered at him with unending hatred burning in their eyes.

 ** _"Kinslayer!"_**

 ** _"Traitor!"_**

 ** _"Oathbreaker!"_**

 ** _"You're a monster!"_**

 ** _"A man without loyalty and honor!"_**

Madara watched their father impassively standing even as his clansmen berated his own son. Tajima had no great love for Naruto, but this was going too far. As their father, why wasn't the man defending his own son?

He looked back at his brother to see the same impassive gaze of their father burning in his eyes as every man and woman rained down curses on him. But none had the balls to apprehend the bloodstained boy holding his bloodied sword.

However, they must have taken Naruto's silence for cowardice as two older men nearly a decade older than his young brother charged forward.

When they barely managed to unleash their swords, all they saw was a bright blur and screamed the next moment as blood erupted from their slashed legs. The two Uchiha screamed in pain losing the grip on their weapons falling to their knees as their hands desperately tried to stop the large gash on their legs.

However, the defensive action of Naruto only seemed to make the crowd even more angry.

Madara was either too shocked or horrified watching his brother taking out a kunai and throwing it a few feet ahead of him marking a boundary that was not missed by anyone. The message was clear.

 _Cross the line and meet your end._

The sight of the still wounded two older Uchiha crying out in agony along with the sight of all the Uchiha that the boy had previously massacred made everyone flinch away, the boy's unnerving stare only seemed to make him appear more terrifying.

The air was thick with killing intent, smell of rotten flesh and doom.

Madara felt as if his worst nightmares had came true. If losing three brothers in one battle was devastating, watching what was happening before his eyes was heart breaking. The worst part was the fact that he didn't know what to do.

Fortunately for him and their furious clan, someone did.

 **"Enough"**

Tajima Uchiha's voice was still as calm as ever despite the grave situation. His gaze as cold as ice boring down on the form of his youngest offspring who stared at him blankly.

"I command you to surrender now, _Kinslayer_ "

Madara didn't look at his father, or at the furious crowd who protested the order instead demanding Naruto to be killed right here, all the elder Uchiha sibling really saw was the slight tremble of Naruto's lips when their father called him that insulting name.

The boy raised his sword high in the air making nearly every Uchiha take a step back in fear, but they were relieved when he instead stabbed the sword in the ground with a loud noise.

The very next second several guards appeared around Naruto grabbing him roughly before they started dragging him gracelessly while doing their very best to keep the murderous crowd from killing the boy right there but couldn't do anything to stop them from yelling one word at the top of their voice.

 _Kinslayer._

Madara walked towards his father and despite the most threatening glare of his life present in his eyes, Tajima looked back at him calmly.

"What happened?" hissed Madara,

"Your brother went mad and killed these people. Now I have to sort out this mess rendering justice" said Tajima with mild irritation, as if he was the least bothered about Naruto's fate or what this meant for the boy's future. But then again, he had never cared about his youngest son in the first place.

" _Bullshit!_ You know he would never do such a thing" protested Madara,

"Your love for him makes you blind to his shortcomings or his crimes, Madara. Think about the Clan..." warned Tajima icily,

 ** _"Fuck. The. Clan"_**

Tajima's eyes actually widened in shock on the ever loyal and obedient Madara saying those dangerous words. Granted they were said barely above a whisper leaving the nearby people unaware but the murderous look in Madara's eyes was enough proof to show that he meant what he said.

"He is my brother. I don't fucking care what he is, or what he's done. I know him better than you ever will and nothing will ever make me believe that Naruto did this, or even if he did then it was not without just reason. And if you do him any harm-"

 _"Then what, boy?"_

The darkness and hatred in Madara's eyes made Tajima flinch and take a step back.

 **"I will kill you"**

With those words, Tajima's eldest son ran away towards the dungeons where Naruto was being transported. But his words would ring in his father's head for a very long time and the look in Madara's eyes would haunt his father every night.

* * *

It was dark.

Darker than most places Madara had seen in his life and only the flickering lights of the flame torches hanging on the adjacent walls showed the path. He spotted quite a heavily armed guard detail standing outside one of the cells.

When he approached, all five of them placed their hands on the hilt of their swords.

"No one is allowed to visit _The Kinslayer_ without permission from Tajima-sama" warned Yamato Uchiha, the man's voice as nasty as the scar on his face.

"He is my brother" hissed Madara, eyes flashing red that made everyone except for Yamato take a step back.

For they all knew even before he awakened the Sharingan, Madara was stronger than them all. But Yamato glared even more harshly at the action.

"He killed _my cousin_!"

For the first time, Madara felt some of his aggression lessen for this man before him had indeed lost family tonight. It made the elder son of Tajima deactivate his eyes and look at the guards tiredly.

"I need to know what happened. He's my brother, and while I have always been loyal to our clan...I will _not_ hesitate to harm you should you get in my way" warned Madara,

Yamato stared at the boy for a long moment before shaking his head in disgust.

"Tajima-sama will here of this, Madara. But go and meet _The Kinslayer_ for he will likely be executed tomorrow morning..." said Yamato viciously, earning nods from the other guards.

Madara smiled.

And it sent chills down the hearts of each and everyone of the guards.

"You are free to _try_ "

They got out of his way and opened the wooden door protected by seals that never allowed any prisoner to ever break free. Madara could still feel the heated glares raining down on him and turned back with murder evident in his eyes.

When he unleashed a quarter of his killing intent, he smirked on seeing them all falling to their knees.

"I will **_slaughter_ ** your _entire families_ and those who try to even harm my brother. Do not forget your _place_ , you are allowed to even voice this much protest because my family _allows_ it. I love our clan and will protect it to my dying breath, but I will not hesitate to murder you all should you or anyone else dare to even lift a _finger_ at my family **"**

 **"Do you understand?"**

He was satisfied when three of the guards pissed themselves and the remaining two were shaking in terror including Yamato. And while this was not the way Madara liked to treat his fellow clan members, his father had always hammered down one single fact in his brain.

 _We are the blood of the Dragon._

 _And Dragons respect only strength._

 _Show weakness even for a single second and doom yourself forever._

Madara's family had retained leadership for centuries in their power hungry clan only because of the fact that they were the **_strongest_**. And while they had done their best to make the clan flourish, his ancestors had also protected their own families against enemies and allies alike no matter the cost.

And he intended to do just that.

* * *

When he entered the cell it was even darker than the corridor, so he was forced to grab a flame torch from outside and shut the door right in the faces of the still terrified guards.

A pair of red eyes stared back at him from the now vanishing darkness.

Madara couldn't stop himself from hastily walking forward and enwrapping his brother in a fierce hug uncaring of the fact that the young boy was soaked in blood.

"Madara?"

"I'm here, little brother" reassured Madara,

"You should go"

He broke the hug and stared into those fully evolved sharingan eyes. If someone ever told him that Naruto would someday become the first to achieve this full power in centuries, Madara would have scoffed. But his brother had proved himself far from ordinary.

His every action a proof of that claim.

"Why?" asked Madara seriously,

"I killed all of them" confessed Naruto, looking his brother right in the eye and didn't miss Madara's shock but despite that his brother never stared at him accusingly.

"What happened?" questioned Madara patiently,

Naruto looked away unable to continue holding his brother's gaze but Madara grabbed his chin making him look back up.

"No matter what happens or what you did or even why, I will _always_ have your back" promised Madara,

"Why?" asked Naruto sadly,

"Because we are brothers"

Naruto stared into those eyes and found nothing but truth and love. Madara had always loved his brothers fiercely and fought for them as best as he could, and while his relationship with Naruto had not been ideal over the years it had improved in leaps and bounds in the past year ever since they both lost three of their brothers.

That pain and suffering forged a bond stronger than anything either of the boys had left in their lives.

Finally, the younger boy nodded and hesitantly told his older sibling the events that led to such a tragedy. And Madara listened with silent horror spreading across his heart soon to be replaced by fury and disgust.

When Naruto finished the tale, he was valiantly fighting back his tears while staring at his bloodstained hands.

" _Kinslayer..._ " said Naruto with a tired sigh, staring defeatedly at the dark ceiling.

Madara glared at him for saying that disgusting word.

"Don't say that!" he reprimanded harshly, but Naruto stared at him calmly.

"It will not change the truth, Brother. This is who I am and will remain so until they execute me..." said Naruto in a resigned voice, which made Madara glare even more fiercely.

"Nobody is going to harm you, little brother. Not while I'm still breathing..." promised Madara,

He surprised the young boy by grabbing his bloodstained hands and squeezing them firmly with his own.

"You'll fight for me?" asked Naruto with the tiniest hope present in his voice,

"Do I have a choice?" asked Madara with a smirk, making Naruto smile but it came out more like a pained grimace.

"Father has no love for me and I guess after what I did he will be forced to take action against me because of the pressure from the rest of the clan. Likely they are all demanding right now for _The Kinslayer_ to be executed as the law demands..." suggested Naruto, making Madara frown as his brother again said the cursed title given to him tonight.

"That may be true but don't forget you are the _heir_ to our clan in case I die. You are also the only other person than me to wield **_The Sharingan_** in centuries. Despite what has happened, the clan needs you. _I need you.._." said Madara honestly, the last part barely above a whisper.

"You cannot fight against the entire world for me, Brother" said Naruto gently, knowing that for all his power Madara was still just one young boy.

"I can" said Madara defiantly,

The oldest son of Tajima started walking towards the exit and opened the door swiftly much to the terror of the still shivering guards who flinched at his icy gaze. But before he left, he stared back at his brother...

"Because I am Madara Uchiha"

* * *

When he entered their home and marched towards the upper floor entering his Father's room without warning he found Tajima sitting at his table with Naori at his side, both brother and sister looking pensive while their hands grabbed their respective sake cups tightly.

"Have you forgotten your manners, boy?" asked Tajima darkly, but didn't look at his son who glared right at him.

"What are you going to do with my brother?" questioned Madara,

When Tajima didn't answer, Madara aggressively stepped forward but stopped when Naori looked at him pleadingly. Looking into his aunt's eyes, the boy relented and was rewarded when Tajima spoke.

"The people are demanding his head, Madara"

"And you're going to give them just that, aren't you, Father? You have never loved him..." spat Madara viciously,

Surprisingly, Tajima merely nodded.

"Yes, I have never loved your brother. But he is my son, and I don't want him to die like this" admitted Tajima,

"Neither do I. But it's going to be quite hard to protect him. He killed a lot of people..." said Naori hesitantly,

Madara glared back at the two adults and their pathetic resolves. And they dare call themselves _Uchiha, the dragon's descendants?_

"Do whatever you want. But know this..."

Both Tajima and Naori looked to see the intent murder burning in Madara's eyes that sent a chill down their spines.

"If anybody tries to harm my brother, then you'll have _two kinslayers_ and a lot of dead Uchiha..." promised Madara,

"Madara..."

"I know _the truth_ , Father"

Tajima's eyes widened in horror as he realized Naruto had told his brother why this tragedy had happened despite Tajima's warning to keep his lips sealed forever. But then again, Madara was all Naruto had left in his life.

The last person the boy trusted, even loved.

Even if Madara had never known the truth like originally planned, Tajima doubted his eldest would have stopped himself from defending his brother.

And despite everything, it made Tajima feel relieved because the future of his family was safe in the form of the unflinching loyalty that existed between his two sons.

He could see it now, Madara was not an ordinary person and not just because of his powers. But in those cold black colored eyes, Tajima saw unending strength. This boy was strong, determined, had the power that could make men kneel or simply piss themselves in terror, and spared no mercy for those who wronged him in any manner. Most dangerous being threatening his family.

Yet when the Uchiha overpassed tonight's tragedy restoring their pride and glory it just wouldn't be because of Madara.

No, it would be because of another boy as well.

But he would never be loved or admired like Madara for he would be hated and spat upon for the rest of his life. Someone whom parents could warn their children about so as not to become like the...

 _Kinslayer._

"We will handle this" promised Naori, looking unflinchingly into Madara's hard eyes.

The boy stared at her for a long moment before nodding and walking back towards the door without a word.

"Where are you going?" asked Tajima warily, while Madara was a calm person at most times but when angry he was capable of dangerous things. And right now he was not angry, but _utterly pissed._

And Tajima feared not for his boy, but for the fools who could try to rile Madara or even worse curse Naruto for his crime.

"To the dungeons" admitted Madara, stepping at the door's exit.

"You can't be there, Madara" said Naori seriously, and flinched when those cold eyes again landed on her.

"I **_will_** be there. Guarding my brother and any fool that tries something will lose his head by my sword. See that nobody attempts such stupidity, Aunt" warned Madara,

Naori weakly nodded as Madara stared back at his father.

"I'll bring him to you tomorrow morning. Call the elders and the council, I'd like to address them" said Madara frankly,

"They won't listen to you..." said Naori honestly, for even if he was a strong fighter Madara was still a young boy atleast to the ones older than him.

He gave her a chilling smile in return.

 _"Then I'll cut off their useless ears"_

* * *

(Next Day)

When Naruto entered the impromptu meeting chamber organized within his own mansion he saw all the elders and other council members of their clan present. Most of the Council was comprised of various smaller families with wealth or having the most powerful fighters.

Those seats changed every now and then when those families either lost their wealth or stopped producing good quality fighters. The same was for the elders only they were changed either by the order of the clan head or when they died.

Everybody earned their rank through merit and not on the glory of long dead ancestors.

Those were the customs of the Uchiha and according to the same customs and rules someone like him could only be awarded one punishment for his crime.

 _Death._

He saw it in their eyes, most of them wanted him dead, and those who didn't seem overtly hostile didn't look too pleased either for in every person's eyes he saw the same accusation ever present.

 _Kinslayer._

On Madara's insistence, he had been dressed in his clan's dark robes instead of prisoner uniform. But all his weapons were confiscated leaving him open to be attacked by any of these men or women. But he doubted such a thing could happen in the presence of his father and aunt, or because of the fact Madara stood ahead of him like a _Bloodhound._

He stared at his oldest brother and couldn't help but be grateful to him.

Because when everyone turned their backs on him, Madara stood by him. Even after knowing the real truth of why he did what he did, Madara never changed his opinion.

Naruto had always known his brother was the stronger fighter, but now he knew another fact about his sibling.

Madara was a better man than him.

Whatever his fate today, he was proud of his brother and if somehow he survived he vowed to stand by Madara no matter what happened. For his brother, he would do anything for he was all Naruto had left.

Finally, Tajima broke the heavy silence.

"Naruto Uchiha, you have been accused of killing your own clansmen. What do you plead?" asked Tajima directly, cutting short any unwanted pleasantries for no person was in the mood for that.

 _"Guilty"_

The chamber would have exploded in anger had Tajima not raised his hand silencing the rest. His father might be a cold man, but he was respected and feared nonetheless by the rest of the clan.

"Why did you do such a thing?" asked Ayato Uchiha, an elder who had lost an eye fighting for their clan alongwith both hands.

Everyone waited for the reason behind such a gruesome massacre but the young boy remained silent. Madara clenched his fists tightly as the glares got even more worse, he wanted nothing more than to punch them all for they had no right to stare at his brother like that.

Not after what he did.

But he also knew in Naruto's silence was the salvation of his clan who had just started to regain their lost glory.

"We should execute _The Kinslayer_ " voiced Hotaru Uchiha heatedly, having lost her younger brother by Naruto's sword.

''He has confessed his crime and the law is clear in this matter, Tajima-sama" pointed Itami Uchiha calmly, but his cold dark eyes didn't fail to stare at Naruto distastefully.

Various other demands of the same nature were raised by the rest of the council, and while Tajima remained silent it was Madara who was about to explode.

Unfortunately, there were many in the room that had lost close or distant family in the massacre and the clan head's silence was taken for hesitance or more dangerous: _weakness_ as one of the bold elders gestured to the nearby guards who nodded.

When ten of those guards took their first step, Madara drew his sword and activated his sharingan drawing sharp gasps from everyone who had never expected such an action from their famed hero.

"Madara, what is the meaning of this?" demanded one of the elders angrily,

It was again Hotaru Uchiha who glared at Madara fiercely.

"You have lived your entire life for the clan, Madara. Are you going to die for _The Kinslayer?_ " asked the woman in disbelief,

Madara's glare made her flinch as his killing intent flared bringing all the guards to their knees and the council to grip their chairs firmly.

"Someone will..." promised the boy,

 **"ENOUGH!"**

Tajima's commanding voice stopped the commotion instantly as even Madara lowered his sword on seeing his father stand up from his chair.

 _Proud. Tall. Commanding._

"I will **_not_** execute Naruto" declared Tajima, drawing shocked gasps followed by heated glares from everyone.

"But-'' protested Hotaru,

 **"Out"**

Madara smirked viciously when the gobsmacked woman stared at his cold father in shock which only made Tajima glare harder at her.

"You are removed from this council. Your family debarred for _ten years_ from contesting your seat!" declared Tajima,

Naruto stared in shock, he had known his father was powerful but this was the first time he saw the man in action. Hotaru Uchiha actually bowed respectfully before walking out hastily, that seemed to make the rest of the council submit to the commanding leader.

And when the same man glanced back at him with those intimidating eyes, Naruto involuntarily stood a little straighter.

"I know what he did but you forget he has _the Sharingan_ and is one of our most powerful fighters. He and Madara helped us win that important battle against the Senjus, our enemies fear us again because we have the Sharingan. More importantly, he is **_my son_** " said Tajima coldly,

Many of the people lost some of their anger on realizing the power Naruto held. Killing him was easy, but it would harm the clan because for all his crimes he was a dangerous fighter. Even more so, with his sharingan.

"Maybe you're right, Tajima-sama. And while we still don't know why he killed his own people, we know he is just a new adult. And am I right in assuming Madara is against this decision?" asked Yamashiro Uchiha, father of Itachi Uchiha and one of the more influencing members of the council.

"You kill my brother or even try to harm him, then not only will I kill the fools who try such madness but I will **_leave_** this clan forever" promised Madara without hesitation,

Naruto was too stunned by what his brother just said and that did it, for the the entire council instantly panicked for Madara was one of their most powerful fighters. In future, he had the potential to become the strongest and capable enough to butcher the Senju and all their enemies single handedly.

While killing Naruto would be a blow, losing Madara would be devastating and cast their clan's future in darkness.

And these men and women knew that.

It was then Naori chose a different approach then the one taken by her brother and nephew.

"I personally apologize for what Naruto has done but he is still _a boy_ and we still don't know if someone influenced him to do such a thing. It could be our enemies..." suggested Naori,

"I find that hard to believe.." commented an elder skeptically, staring at Naruto harshly.

"Whatever the case, I will not execute my son. But nor will I let his crimes go unpunished..." declared Tajima, which finally seemed to calm down the council.

Madara was about to protest when he felt Naruto gently grabbing his hand, when he looked at the brown haired boy his brother shook his head silencing Madara.

"Naruto Uchiha..."

The said boy stepped forward and met his father's eyes.

"For your crimes, I denounce you"

Madara's eyes widened in horror at his father's decision.

"I strip you off from my family and as my heir after Madara"

Even the council members and the elders seemed shocked at the decision as they stared at father and son.

"And banish you from all our lands and hometown for ten years"

Naori lowered her gaze as she knew the last part would be the harshest.

"I forbid you from marrying, from having children, from owning any lands. From this day forth you shall serve as Naori's bodyguard protecting her on clan missions. Should your behavior and actions be found redeeming after ten years, I or the next clan head will contemplate bringing you back amongst us. But you shall never have a family for all the ones you destroyed with your actions"

Heavy silence descended within the room broken by the trembling of Madara's hands as he gripped his sword tightly waiting for a single cry of help from his brother.

For this sentence was _worse_ than death.

It was a **_curse_** aimed to turn a man's life into a living hell.

But even as his anger boiled over, Madara watched most people in the room seemed quite satisfied with the judgement for they now understood that killing Naruto was indeed a merciful action which would never heal their wounds.

But this...

It would make the boy suffer every day of his life. His every moment a living hell...

And despite it all, he would still be remain an Uchiha ready to be used for their clan's purposes.

Madara walked towards his brother and grasped his shoulders making the young boy look at him.

"You don't have to do this..."

"I do" answered Naruto sadly,

"Why? They don't deserve your loyalty..." said Madara fiercely, earning a nod from his brother.

"I am not doing this for them" confessed Naruto,

"Then why?"

" _For Izuna. For our brothers_ who died so that this clan could live and flourish. I promised them that I would protect what they gave their lives for no matter what happened. And I will keep my word" said Naruto seriously,

Madara was proud and heartbroken at the same time at his brother's decision.

"But the pain..." said Madara sadly, receiving a forced smile from Naruto.

"As long as I have you, I don't need anything else"

A lone tear fell from Madara's eyes as Naruto stepped forward and knelt before their father.

"I accept"

As he said those faithful words, in his heart the young boy knew his life would never be the same.

* * *

(Two Weeks Later)

Naruto stared at the lake in front of his family home, a place he had known his entire life, where most of his happy as well as sad memories were made.

He looked at the training yard and the small forest surrounding the mansion where he and his brothers used to train together.

He looked at a lot of things each with specific memories attached to them.

Currently wearing his clan gear, he was ready to depart from his only home for a very long time. Perhaps forever if he couldn't manage to survive until it was time to come back.

If such a time ever came...

He touched his cheek to find it covered in a dark facemask courtesy of avoiding the glares and jibes being thrown at him all the time after the judgement given on him. The initial few days had been chaotic, while many were satisfied with the lenient yet cruel decision, there were few who still demanded his head.

Fortunately for them, the elder's watchful eye and Madara's threat of slaughtering entire families of those who dared to attack his little brother kept those people at bay.

But it never kept at bay those hushed whispers, those heated glares, or the term forever attached to him.

One that shall never disappear even after he died.

 _Kinslayer._

Unlike what his clan or even his own family thought, he didn't commit those murders out of madness or manipulation. Nor did he willingly accept the judgement to save his own life or continue to be loyal to the clan only for the sake of his dead brother's.

He did it because it was his duty.

For in this world of never ending war, he would not find any family except for the one he was born in.

Yet it was not easy to deal with that name attached to him, to stare back at those accusatory eyes, to bear those whispered curses. It was why he had taken this mask in order to hide his smile for whenever anyone called him _Kinslayer_ , he smiled.

For he knew why he did what he had to, fully aware of the consequences that would follow. And he didn't regret it even if it costed him everything in his life.

But his smile would send the wrong message which would only increase the attacks on him, and while he could defeat most of his assailants even he had his limits. Besides, his family was already in enough trouble and there was no need for him to add further to them.

He was disrupted from his thoughts when he felt another person step beside him.

"You're ready?"

He looked at his tall father and saw that his usual stony look was replaced by something he couldn't understand.

"Yes. We leave at midnight as per Naori-sama's decision. It is better this way, less fools to entertain" japed Naruto with a mocking smile, but it faltered when Tajima stared at him sadly.

"When you hear them whispering _Kinslayer_ behind your back? Doesn't it bother you?"

The older Uchiha watched as his son stared at the lake with such hardness in his eyes that should never be there in someone so young.

"Of course, it bothers me. But I will deal with it..." he answered defiantly,

"For what it's worth, I'm sorr-"

Tajima stopped instantly when the murderous glare rained down on him,

"Do **_not_** mock my duty, Father!" warned Naruto,

Tajima nodded looking the young boy right in the eye.

"You proved me wrong, you know"

Naruto blinked at those words and couldn't hide his surprise as he stared at his father who looked down at him almost with a caring look.

"How?"

"I always thought you the weakest among all my sons. You were soft and didn't have the talent for fighting. But when it truly mattered you stood up for the clan, your family, your brothers, and even me. You sacrificed your honor for all of us" said Tajima painfully,

"Father, I..." said Naruto hesitantly, not able to believe that he actually saw _his Father_ , his bloody cold old man on the verge of tears.

"Madara might be more stronger than you but you have a strength that he might never have. You're so much like your mother in that manner..." revealed Tajima, as Naruto's eyes lowered.

"Look where that got her..."

He looked up when a firm hand was placed on his shoulder.

"She _never_ regretted giving you life. She gave you your name, wished you the best in life, and finally died with a smile on her face holding your tiny form in her arms"

The boy's hands were trembling even as Tajima continued.

"Mothers are powerful, son. Even dead she lives on in you, gave you her kindness and strength, made you strong enough to overcome all the challenges that came your way and those that will come in the future. She gave you everything that I never gave you, and yet what you did for me is something I will never forget" expressed Tajima honestly,

"You gave me life, Father..."

Tajima looked away from those powerful eyes that were so much like his dead wife's as a lone tear fell from his eyes. It took him a while but he managed to get himself under control and turned back towards his son.

He surprised the boy by presenting him a longsword with flames engraved on its steel and the hilt containing the symbol of a dragon.

Naruto was left speechless.

"I can't accept this. It's not my right..." said Naruto fiercely,

"This ancestral sword was given to me by my father, and to him by his father before him and so on. My father while giving me this sword told me that it is not a weapon to slay your enemies alone. But _a symbol, an oath_ that you take of protecting the clan from all enemies no matter who they are. A promise that you shall be just and fair to your people. Every Uchiha Clan leader passes this heirloom down to the one who can lead the clan towards a better future" explained Tajima patiently,

"I am no longer your heir, Father. It's Madara's by right..." argued Naruto, as he never wanted to take something that rightfully belonged to a brother who fought for him so fiercely against everyone.

"Madara will hold this clan together with his power but he lacks _vision_. But you are different and I entrust this to you with the hope that you will find a better future for our clan. Besides, Madara **_hates_** swords" said Tajima with a faint smile,

Naruto blinked owlishly causing his father's eyebrows to twitch in annoyance.

"Did you just _joke?_ " asked Naruto in disbelief,

" _I shouldn't?_ " questioned Tajima flatly, causing Naruto to struggle for an answer.

"I..."

Tajima smirked earning an accusatory finger from his son.

"You did that on purpose!"

And then they both laughed for perhaps the first time together in their entire lives as Tajima hesitantly ruffled those brown locks that were the same as Hikari's.

"Do what your aunt says and try not to give her too much trouble. And if I hear even a whisper of you visiting whorehouses or bars disgracing the family name, I'll make you an **_eunuch_** " promised Tajima darkly, but again it only earned an eye roll from the boy.

"As if _Kinslayer_ wasn't enough..." muttered Naruto,

"What was that?"

"Nothing"

Tajima sighed.

"I say this because women and alcohol are a shinobi's greatest weakness. You cannot be a warrior if any of your senses are distracted in any manner. I see great potential in you, don't waste it away" advised Tajima,

"Hai"

"And try not to fall in love or some other foolish notion, I will **_not_** allow such a thing..." warned Tajima,

"Father, you did just forbid me from marrying or having a family. It will only be more painful if I commit an even bigger folly knowing that I cannot change my fate" said Naruto tiredly,

The bop he received on the head nearly made his eyes pop out. The old man was strong.

"I say that because that will make it much difficult for me to find you a proper Uchiha girl"

Naruto stared.

And received another harder bop on the head.

"Did you really think I was going to sacrifice _my heir, my son, his future_ for those fools despite knowing the truth? Let them cool over, your absence will accelerate the process as I and Madara try to make this incident become a distant memory. I'd suggest you do something great or extraordinary that benefits the clan immensely which will further help to bring you back among our people. It won't be easy but it is not impossible either..." explained Tajima honestly,

"But what if they don't change their minds even then?" asked Naruto hesitantly, still trying to get over his surprise at what his father just said.

Tajima scoffed.

"A **_dragon_** doesn't concern himself with the opinion of _sheep_. Most of the time..." added the Father with a grin,

"You're funny like me..." said Naruto with a smile, as a smug smirk appeared on Tajima's lips which made him look much younger.

"You didn't get all good things just from your mother alone..." scolded Tajima, but without the usual heat present in his tone.

When Tajima presented the sword, Naruto accepted it respectfully and saw the man smiling proudly.

"I will make this right, son. My only regret is that it took things to go this south to make me understand you..." confessed Tajima, quite ashamed of his earlier treatment of his son all these years. His pain over the loss of his wife made him blind to the diamond she had left behind.

And even if the entire clan today spat upon his son, Tajima was proud of him.

"Better late than never, Father..."

The boy offered his hand with a roguish grin and a kind look in his eyes lacking any accusation for all Tajima had put him through. It only made the older Uchiha feel more guilty as he knelt down and hugged the boy who stiffened, having never experienced such affection from his Father.

And he said those words that Uchiha Naruto had yearned for all these years.

 _"I'm proud of you, my son"_

* * *

Once he had walked these streets oblivious to the people around him. Most never recognized him, the few who did usually never bothered to greet him for his own family had shown no interest in him back then. But when he won the battle against the Senju's awakening the sharingan, everyone respected him overnight.

As needy as it sounded, he had enjoyed that attention.

Even now he still garnered the same attention.

But where once there had been respect and pride behind that was now replaced by scorn and utter loathing in those eyes.

They all hated him.

 _Kinslayer._

He could hear the whispers no matter how low they all spoke. They didn't say anything and only glared when he was in front of them but as soon as his back was turned, they whispered.

And he smiled walking even more tall and proud which only seemed to infuriate his fellow clansmen.

As he looked into their hateful eyes those haunting words came back in his heart.

The ones he had heard on that night, the ones that made him raise his sword killing everyone of his clansmen in sight.

The same words that led to him becoming what he was, that led to all these people judging him as if he was the worst shit ever to be born in this noble clan.

But he reminded himself that this was _his_ choice.

And now he had to bear it.

One of the older woman spat at his feet receiving a mocking bow in return from him, a middle aged man gave him the finger earning the same gesture from him.

A child younger than him threw a small pebble at him which he easily avoided and stared at the gathered mass of people with amusement shining in his eyes.

"Is that all? I would think the _blood of the dragon_ are more capable than that..." teased Naruto,

He smirked when everyone of them flinched and glared harder at him.

Yet they parted away clearing a path that led towards the gates of their town. If one thing was certain about his clan was the fact that they all followed orders and believed firmly in obeying those above their station. Even if those orders were not to their liking.

It was those orders that allowed him to walk in these streets and not be mauled to death.

But that fate would have been much kinder and quicker than the utter loathing in the eyes of his people.

There was a time when he had many followers and people who looked up to him. But now they were all gone...

And as he walked through the streets leading towards the path outside their town...

 _He felt so alone._

* * *

When those pair of demonic eyes opened again he had expected a lot of things but to his utter surprise, it was sadness that he saw in the beast's eyes.

 **"Kinslayer..."**

Naruto bristled at that name having not expected even the fox to call him that, much less even know what happened that led to him being disgraced.

The beast must have read his mind as he easily answered.

 **"These ears of mine can hear far and wide. Do you think I could keep an eye on your clan from here if I didn't know what was going on?"** asked Kurama amusedly,

"Then you know what happened..."

The fox nodded and saw the boy shrug his shoulders.

"Go on. Mock me then, I don't mind..." said Naruto carelessly,

The fox stared at him.

 **"Is that what you want?"** asked the beast, with surprising calm and saw the boy shake his head.

"It doesn't matter what I want..."

 **"It matters to me"**

Naruto stared into those eyes searching for any sign of pity or lies, but found none as Kurama stared back at him.

"Why?"

 **"Because I know the truth...''** whispered Kurama, and saw the boy glare at him.

"You will _never_ say another word about that!" warned Naruto, and even more surprisingly earned a nod from the beast.

 **"You remind me of a boy I once knew before he changed and became someone I could never recognize..."** said Kurama reminiscently,

"Who?" asked Naruto,

Silence was his answer and he was not surprised for the beast was just like that having a lot of secrets, and he had to admit it made him wonder more.

Kurama watched as Naruto took out atleast a dozen scrolls from his various pouches and opened them to reveal another river of food.

When he stared at the boy, he shrugged.

"Thought we might share one last meal before I leave..." said Naruto hopefully,

 **"I don't have any need to eat..."** reminded Kurama, as the boy rolled his eyes impatiently.

"Humor me, _Papa Bear..._ " teased the boy,

 **"I'm the _Great Fox_ , Kinslayer!"** reprimanded Kurama, earning a loud chuckle from the insolent brat.

"Whatever..." replied Naruto with a grin, making Kurama sigh.

They both silently dug into their meals until halfway through they both froze and their cold eyes narrowed in suspicion.

Kurama was impressed when in one swift move Naruto unleashed his new sword wielding it with such mastery as if it was a part of his body as his Sharingan came alive.

The fox himself got back on all four legs towering over the boy as both of them prepared themselves.

 _"We've got company!''_


	5. Enemies

**Thank you for the support. Hope you continue it.**

 **Note: Every detail in this story shall only be revealed on the right time. So be patient.**

 **Chapter 5**

 **Enemies**

* * *

Kurama waited in anticipation as he sensed the mass of intruders edging closer and closer in the dark valley. There were quite a lot of them which made the giant fox snarl but on the other hand his unlikely ally stood calm and composed.

There was strength and grace in his posture.

The way he handled his longsword with ease showed his skill with the weapon. His sharingan quickly scanning for the first sight of their approaching enemy.

But the most striking feature about the boy was the way he looked which was exactly the same as the one of a boy Kurama had known a long time ago.

The resemblance was disturbing for the beast but unlike in the past, this time he had a faint hope in his heart.

For this boy before him despite having similar looks and great power like his ancestor had one factor that set him apart.

Naruto Uchiha was a good man.

A person who dearly loved his family and clan going so far as to sully his own honor and life to keep them safe, whereas his ancestor had chosen power over blood.

Kurama could only hope Naruto's sense of honor and loyalty didn't fade away with time as happened with most Uchiha's. Even if today he was known as a _Kinslayer_ , Kurama would not have any other Uchiha here beside him than this boy in the upcoming battle.

He was brought out of his inner thoughts when Naruto spoke,

"They're here"

Kurama smirked when the dozens of armed warriors dressed in heavy armor stopped on seeing him. Their wide and terrified eyes took in his monstrous form and the nine dangerous tail flowing wildly. He couldn't help but laugh internally at their fear and yet he also felt disgust at their weakness for they were the blood of a man he had dearly loved.

"Kaguya and Hagoromo clans. Quite strange seeing them together..." said Naruto curiously, but the heavy frown on his face was enough to show he was troubled by this new development.

The enemy seemed to whisper something among each other which made Kurama growl angrily. Naruto looked up at the fox with a knowing look in his eyes.

"Something tells me they are here for you..." suggested the boy,

 **"And you as well. They plan to either kill you or capture you for your Sharingan..."** warned Kurama,

The beast felt a shiver pass through his body when Naruto's eye turned ice cold, his face a mask of contained fury making his red eyes seem even more menacing.

 **"Scared, Kinslayer?"** teased Kurama,

"In your dreams, fox" retorted Naruto testily, but there was an amused smile on his face.

 **"There are quite a few of them..."**

"You forget who I am?" asked the boy, that famed Uchiha arrogance present in his voice and the cocky smirk on his lips. But while most of his clansmen couldn't back those words into reality, this boy could.

The fox surprised his unlikely ally by simply sitting back on the ground with a nonchalant grin on his beastly face.

 **"Go on. Humor me..."**

Naruto smirked.

"I don't work for free, fox"

Something between amusement and curiosity quickly passed through the Biju's eyes as he narrowed his eyes at the statement. But quickly made his decision nonetheless.

 **''You're interesting, Kinslayer. Show me what you've got first..."** challenged Kurama, earning a mocking bow from the young boy.

"I am your humble servant, _Papa Bear_ " teased Naruto,

Kurama snarled angrily on that ridiculous nickname but before he could retort back with a fitting reply, Naruto stepped forward towards the approaching enemy force.

The enemy made their intention clear when they charged ahead with thunderous battlecries, their various weapons screaming for blood.

Kurama's eyes slightly widened when he saw Naruto flex his sword pouring his chakra into the blade making it glow bright blue. He knew this sword, remembered the one who had made this weapon and used it in every battle, never once had this blade been broken.

And now watching that same sword being wielded by this brown haired boy with heavenly fair skin and delicate features alongwith that famed sharingan removed the last doubts from Kurama's mind.

 _Indra, even dead you still live on. It seems this time you are truly reborn in this boy._

Kurama had felt something distinct in Naruto the first time he encountered the boy by accident, he was different. His features, his chakra, his skills. When the boy spoke of his family, of his dead brothers, Kurama had found the same love and affection in this boy that Indra once had for his own family before things went horribly wrong.

Naruto adhered to the same sense of duty and loyalty which Indra had developed in his own house, The Uchiha.

The only difference between those two was Naruto's sarcastic humor and the fact that Naruto gave up his honor and his life for his family.

While Indra gave up on his own family.

Naruto gave out his own battlecry stabbing his ancestral sword in the ground unleashing a violent rumbling that surprised his enemies. Rocks and debris fell from the surface of the valley due to the tremors sending the enemy forces into disarray.

And then the boy charged.

He appeared behind his first opponent with a shunshin cleaving the teenage boy in half in one single strike. Electricity rained down from his left hand stunning five more enemies within range.

Naruto brought his sword upward blocking a strike from a Kaguya woman who snarled wildly at him. Her mistake was looking into his eyes.

When he beheaded her mercilessly, her clansmen backed away.

The stench of death and rotting bodies didn't bother him anymore. His fears no longer bothered him for he had seen and done much worse.

 _He was a Kinslayer._

And these people meant nothing to him.

Having realized they were more vulnerable going against him alone, the combined warriors of two different clans ganged up together and unleashed an entire barrage of kunai and shuriken in his direction.

Naruto roared murderously unleashing a massive amount of chakra from his body sending a brutal shockwave dispersing all the projectiles sailing towards him.

He clasped his hands together and glared menacingly as he finished gathering his chakra.

 **"Suiton: Suiryudan no Jutsu (Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique)"**

Kurama's eyes widened when Naruto created two entire large water dragons out of thin air displaying his skill with the element. The summoned beasts roared as their creator surged electricity through them giving them more power as they charged towards their terrified enemies who had not expected such power from one so young.

When the cackling water dragons crashed nearly seven enemies were crushed while the rest barely managed to jump to safety.

As the carnage was finished, Naruto walked towards a twitching older man in his twenties who was crushed with his body marred in severe burns. He would not live long but death would not arrive for him sooner either leaving him in a lot of pain.

Kurama watched Naruto bury his sword swiftly in his twitching enemy's head mercifully ending the man's painful last moments **.**

 **"Monster!"**

The boy actually smirked as one of the Hagoromo warriors called him that. But he prepared himself when he saw the enemy fan out and surround him.

 _They clearly don't want me to unleash my jutsu anymore._

He looked at his enemies, nearly ten of them were left out of the dozen that had arrived and they were all making every effort not to look in his eyes. That give him a distinct advantage in this fight, but they had the numbers and he had a feeling the blades of the Kaguya were definitely laced with poison.

He cursed himself for not having his armor with him right now for that would atleast give him some protection. Another point to keep in mind for the future.

Instead, he picked up one of the swords from a nearby dead Hagoromo and wielded his now two swords against his enemies.

Kurama watched this young boy facing against men and women far older and experienced than him with absolute courage. There was a smile on the boy's face as all the enemies attacked him at once.

Naruto parried his ancestral sword forward breaking the counter swords of two Hagoromo resulting in their throats being slit instantly. With his other stolen sword he blocked strikes aimed at his back and delivered a roundhouse kick to the remaining two in front of him sending them crashing away.

The fox watched as the enemies charged at the boy and he laughed.

Naruto performed a fast shunshin passing right between his enemies. Three men and one women fell dead to the ground with their heads missing.

The remaining five enemies glared at the boy as he rotated his swords with ease despite their weight in his small hands.

 _He's strong._

Kurama's sentiment was proven right when Naruto blocked five swords with his two and kicked one of the attackers in the balls. The boy roared pushing his enemies back making them stumble momentarily.

The boy used that single moment to stab his swords clean through two more hearts.

With just three enemies remaining, Naruto's smirk grew wide but his focused eyes were fixed on his opponents.

But that smirk vanished from his lips when three giant tails grabbed the last enemies and before he could say anything he was showered in flesh and gore as the enemy clan soldiers were crushed brutally.

He glared at the fox who laughed ferociously.

"You stole my kills!" said Naruto petulantly, a pout arriving on his lips.

 **"Like the shower, Kinslayer?"** retorted Kurama with a smirk,

Naruto shook his head and dutifully wiped the blood from his ancestral sword while throwing the stolen one away. He walked towards one last Kaguya woman who was writhing in pain. He bent down and observed the wound to her heart which he had given.

 _She's strong._

Her end was near and yet he saw her raise her hand towards his eyes wishing to tear them away from him. He gently grabbed her hand and peered into her mind with his Sharingan.

By the time he was done, he was alarmed but he maintained his composure staring at the woman who was still glaring at him with her dying eyes.

"Rest now" he commanded with his sharingan,

The woman named Kimi glared at him one final time before her pained expression vanished and her eyes closed forever.

When he got up from the dead corpse, he saw Kurama watching him intently with a question present in his eyes.

"What?" asked Naruto irritatedly,

 **"She was your enemy"** commented Kurama, confusion present in his demonic eyes.

The boy smiled.

"Sometimes it is better to bestow mercy even to our enemies" said Naruto kindly,

 **"You enjoyed killing them"** said Kurama accusingly, earning a fierce glare from the boy that surprised the beast.

"I enjoy battle _not_ the killing, fox. Remember that" warned Naruto,

 **''Why?"**

"All life is precious" answered Naruto honestly,

 **"Then why do you fight at all?"** questioned Kurama curiously, and saw a pained but determined frown arrive on the boy's face.

"Because I serve my family, my clan. It is my duty to protect them, no matter the cost, or my pride" said Naruto faithfully, which made Kurama smirk.

 **"Then what is your dream? Something other than keeping your family safe..."** said Kurama seriously,

Naruto stayed silent for several long moments, his young sad eyes glancing at all those he had killed moments ago and then at his own hand holding his ancestral sword.

"I guess..."

Kurama waited when the boy hesitated as his lips trembled.

"For once in my life, I want this endless fighting to be over"

The boy glanced at the night sky with the moon enlightening the vast landscape.

"I want to serve something greater than my life, something in which I _believe_ in. I want to end this warfare and create a place where people can live together without any prejudices. And for that dream, I will risk my honor, my life"

When Naruto looked back at the fox he saw the Biju had again adopted one of those unreadable looks in his demonic eyes.

 **"You're different than your mad clan...''** whispered the beast,

Naruto smirked arrogantly.

"Told you we're not all crazy..." teased Naruto,

Kurama just laughed which made Naruto smile but it soon disappeared on the boy's next question.

"Do you have any family, Kurama?"

The question asked out of curiosity evoked an extremely pained expression in the fox's eyes before he closed those demonic eyes, likely remembering his own past.

Naruto despite his young age understood the beast didn't want to discuss this, so he turned around and started walking away.

 **"Kinslayer..."**

He turned back and saw the fox staring at him intently.

 **"Why did two clans attack you?"** asked Kurama seriously, and saw Naruto stiffen a little.

"Word has got out about the Sharingan being reawakened in me and my brother. All clans are wary of my clan regaining their lost power and want to put a stop to it before it harms their interests. Strangely, the Kaguya clan was informed by someone about _your_ existence and they came here to capture you" explained Naruto frankly,

 **"They should have brought more fools and even that wouldn't have been enough..."** mocked Kurama with a laugh, but when Naruto didn't share the sentiment he looked back at the serious boy.

"This was a test" he replied,

 **"And we passed?"** asked Kurama knowingly,

Naruto nodded.

 **"Then the next attack will be a big one"** stated the beast, earning a nod from the boy.

"I need to see my family. Inform them of this" said Naruto frankly,

 **"And tell them about me as well?"** asked Kurama dangerously, surprised with the boy's decision.

Naruto smiled.

" _No_. I gave you my word that I will keep your existence a secret from my clan. I am not going back on my promise"

Kurama relaxed and looked quite pleased with the decision which made him stare at the boy curiously.

 **''Where will you go?"** asked the beast, and saw the boy shrug.

"Wherever duty commands me"

Kurama nodded smiling at the boy, **"Farewell, Kinslayer"**

Naruto smiled back, "You too, _Papa Bear_ "

And then he walked away leaving Kurama alone.

* * *

Tajima stared at his bloodstained son thankful for the fact that Naruto didn't walk into town in this state lest the people think he murdered another few of their clan. Although he was surprised that Naruto had developed a secret passage for himself for going in and out of the town as he pleased. He should be angry with the boy, however the firm gaze in Naruto's eyes and what he just revealed made Tajima's thoughts focus elsewhere.

"You killed all of them? In Single Combat?" asked Naori in surprise, earning a scoff from Madara.

"He's the best swordsman I've ever seen. He can handle it" boasted Madara, which made his younger brother grin with pride.

"Regardless, it seems our enemies are now actively moving against us. We need to prepare" directed Tajima,

"We need to gather our allies, get more political and monetary support from the various Damiyo's. It will take time, Brother" suggested Naori, to which Tajima nodded.

"Then you leave in two hours. I'm increasing the armed force and servants that will be assisting you. Naruto, you will be responsible for your aunt's safety" ordered Tajima, and was pleased when his younger son knelt respectfully.

"No harm will fall on Naori-sama until there is life in me" promised Naruto, earning an amused smile from his aunt as she remembered not long ago this young boy had been quite different than he was now.

But then again a lot had changed in his life.

"What will you do, Brother?" asked Naori curiously, making Tajima look at Madara.

"We will start attacking the Senju and their allies. Our goal will be to grab as much territory and contracts as we can while weakening our sworn enemies. I will personally lead this campaign with Madara acting as my second in command" decided Tajima, which made Madara smile.

"Good. I've been waiting to make those _tree huggers_ pay for what they did to my brothers" said Madara darkly, hatred visible in his eyes.

Naruto frowned at his brother for while their family had lost quite a lot because of the Senju, it was also true that both he and Madara had themselves murdered many Senju's.

Men, women and children who were family to many others.

He idly wondered the fact that if his clan managed to defeat the Senju's, then what?

Would they then move on to fight some other clan?

What was the meaning behind this senseless slaughter? Was there a way to stop it or atleast lessen its extent?

Many questions plagued his young heart but at the same time he knew his duty. He was an Uchiha, no matter his reputation. And he would serve his clan no matter his personal feelings.

For even if he wanted to change things, he had no power.

He was already disowned, forbidden to have a family, his name tainted, no longer the heir to the clan. It made him wonder as to whether his decision that night was right or wrong for the consequences of his actions were now getting clear to him.

He looked at his brother and saw the desire to butcher every living Senju in Madara's eyes. His brother would not rest until they were all dead and then find some other enemy to satisfy his thirst for battle. Madara loved challenges, especially battles and unlike Naruto, his elder brother didn't mind killing.

 _The weak deserved to die._

That was Madara's philosophy and while it bothered Naruto, it didn't change the fact that he loved Madara dearly despite his shortcomings and faults. For when everyone gave up on him, Madara didn't.

And for that alone, Madara would have Naruto's unflinching loyalty no matter his choices.

Naruto was again surprised by his elder brother when Madara came forward with a heavy chest in his arms. Curious, he watched as his brother opened it to reveal a finely crafted armor of gold boring the image of a dragon at the heart, and the symbol of the Uchiha on its back.

"For me?" asked Naruto with wide smile,

"Of course, little brother. Consider it my parting gift" said Madara with a proud smile, happy that Naruto liked the armor crafted for him. It had taken quite a lot of money, after all.

Naruto noticed many seals on the armor and a very strong helm which would protect his face and head in battle. It was unique for no such thing was ever used by any other Uchiha, but he couldn't deny the fact that he would be better protected with this in battle.

Madara noticed his lingering gaze on the seals and explained...

"Those are _chakra seals_ , little brother. They will regularly absorb your chakra from your body in small amounts and in battle when you are low, you can draw that energy back to replenish your diminished reserves. Plus, this armor will keep you warm in the cold weather and is airy enough to bear in hotter climates. It will expand itself on its own as you grow and is strong enough to bear strong jutsu attacks not to mention weapon attacks" boasted Madara proudly,

"Woah. Madara, how much did you-"

Naruto was cut short when Madara raised his hand preventing his brother from asking that silly question. But was forced to do so when Tajima stood up.

"Where did you get this?" asked Tajima seriously, staring harshly at his eldest son.

" _The Black Markets_. It took quite a bit of gold to procure, but I had saved enough from my past missions. The trader said this was made by the Uzumaki Clan for only they are this skilled in the Sealing Arts. Even I have to say, despite their distant alliance with the Senju, their capabilities are quite good" praised Madara honestly,

Tajima nodded and Naruto didn't miss his father glancing at his aunt. Something passed between brother and sister, an unspoken agreement which Naruto couldn't decipher as Naori nodded in understanding.

"You should be more careful with your money, Madara. But I am happy that this will help protect your brother..." said Tajima neutrally, making Madara and Naruto smile.

"We're rich, Father" deadpanned Madara, earning a brief chuckle from Tajima Uchiha.

"Yes. That is true, thanks to your aunt and her skill at trade and negotiations" praised Tajima, as a faint blush arrived on Naori's cheeks.

Naruto wistfully stared at his happy family and couldn't help but remember Izuna, and how he would have been happy to see them all being happy like this. His fists clenched as he remembered the silver haired Senju who killed his beloved older brother.

And he vowed to kill that bastard, no matter what happened.

* * *

By midnight, the convoy was ready.

Tajima glanced at the carts full of supplies, money, and parchments that authorized Naori to negotiate on behalf of the Uchiha clan with any who wished. Her decisions would be binding on the entire clan provided that Tajima gave the final nod.

The Clan head observed the two dozen servants that will be assisting his sister with her daily chores, administrative tasks and serving her alongwith the entire convoy in general. These were the people who could not fight and thus were trained to serve their betters.

Among the others were a few whores that would serve to entertain the guards at their pleasure. While Tajima detested this practice, he also knew men were weak when it came to sex and money particularly. Half of this convoy was comprised of security forces made up of some of the finest Uchiha fighters. They were all good men and women who had served Tajima loyally, but even many of them had the need for personal pleasure. And it was better if they did it with the whores of their own clan and not some other enemy that might kill them during the act or force them to reveal any critical information regarding the Uchiha.

He checked the horses that would be carrying the supplies and non-combatants. Since their journey would be fanning across the elemental nations, he had made sure to provide every fighter with a horse. While those fine creatures would only be used for long distance travel, they could be used in battle as well but he doubted any Uchiha would do it for that would go against their pride for depending on a creature for help.

He had forbidden the rest of the clan from coming to see these people off, as such most of the people of this convoy atleast those who had families had already said their goodbyes to their loves ones and friends.

His gaze settled upon one particular Uchiha who stood out different from the others.

Dressed in dazzling but strong golden armor bearing the dragon on his heart and the Uchiha crest on his back, Naruto was a prideful sight to look at for Tajima. His youngest was also sporting a dark facemask obscuring his identity, and a similar dark black cloak was attached on his back falling to his waist that would help him battle the cold or travel through the desert sands. The boy carried with him their clan's prestigious ancestral sword resting firmly on his hip.

Currently he was giving last instructions to a group of boys named Itachi, Shisui, Kagami and Takeshi Uchiha who would be serving under him with the aim of acting as Naori's personal bodyguards.

"He's something else isn't he, Brother?" asked Naori with a smile,

"He is. Look after him..." requested Tajima, earning a firm nod from his dear sister.

"I will" she promised,

"And take care of yourself as well" urged Tajima, which made her laugh but not unkindly.

"I'm not a little girl you used to watch over, Brother" chastised Naori playfully, making Tajima sigh but he nodded.

''I know"

Naori hugged him and saw Madara doing the same with Naruto fighting back the tears that threatened to fall from his eyes.

"You've got great sons, Tajima. I'll watch over Naruto, you do the same for Madara" requested Naori,

"I promise" he said dutifully,

They both approached the boys who were finishing their hug and thereby heard Naruto's words said with a heavy voice.

"Thank you, Brother. For my life..."

Madara smiled and patted his little brother's back.

"Just be safe. Or I'll piss on your grave..." warned Madara, earning a hearty laugh from Naruto.

They were interrupted when they heard alarmed shouts from the gate guards. The family of four hastily ran and saw the guards were brandishing weapons at an approaching beast.

Naruto's eyes widened and the same was the case for the rest of his family.

He found himself moving forward quickly and gesturing the guards to hold themselves which they reluctantly did. Alone, he approached the beast which was bigger and taller than every horse his clan ever had. It stood tall and proud before him, its thick red fair shining in the darkness of the night, its long paws and sharp canine ready to tear its enemies.

But it was those same demonic eyes that shocked him most.

"Kurama..." he whispered,

The once monstrous fox who had now reduced himself to the size of a great horse looked up at him expectantly. Naruto then noticed the threat with his own clansmen waiting to kill the dangerous beast.

He didn't know what made the fox arrive here, or how he managed to make himself this small.

But he knew one thing.

Kurama was a friend and someone whom he had promised to protect.

"He's with me" said Naruto seriously, daring anyone to challenge otherwise.

His Father and aunt glanced at him warily, an argument about to pass their lips when one firm glare from the boy made them keep their lips sealed. Seeing the clan leaders not object made the guards stand down, although Naruto doubted they would not be overjoyed if the fox ripped him apart.

Only Madara grinned as he approached forward and clapped his sibling proudly on the back.

"Little Brother, you are a man of secrets. Where did you find this beast?" asked Madara curiously,

"In the forests" answered Naruto tersely,

Madara noticed his brother's tension and decided to let it drop. Instead he stared at the giant fox having never seen a beast like this. Surprisingly, the beast growled and looked back at him which made Madara laugh.

"A feisty creature. It suits you, Brother" praised Madara,

Naruto stared at Kurama for a long moment, a thousand questions circling in his eyes but still he remained silent giving a nod to his beast friend who inclined his head. With the approval given, Naruto climbed atop the giant fox and seated himself earning a snort from Kurama which made Madara laugh further.

He rode back to their clan gates gesturing his aunt to start their journey to which she nodded and commanded the convoy to begin. Many men and women alike, stared at the _Kinslayer_ sitting atop that giant and dangerous fox. Already they feared him and with the beast, Naruto doubted his reputation would improve.

Ignoring those stares and few glares, he gave a respectful nod to his Father who gave him a faint smile.

Finally, he stared back at Madara who looked quite pained.

"Farewell, Brother"

"And you too, little brother"

With those last words and a final smile shared between siblings, Naruto rode forward atop his fox never looking back as his family and home became a distant blur.

* * *

A dozen pair of eyes observed the semi-large convoy passing through the dense forests. While their first instinct was to attack they didn't have the numbers.

Nor would they do such a thing because they were here only to observe.

"Is that the _Kinslayer?_ " asked a young boy, dressed in heavy armor bearing the mark of his clan.

His older brother who had been hiding in the trees with him glanced at the distinct Uchiha riding at the very front of the convoy on a giant fox which was bigger than any horse and looked quite menacing.

Tales of the _Uchiha Massacre_ had spread far and wide despite the dragon descendants best attempts to keep it a secret. While many sins and crimes were common across the elemental nations, the sin of killing one's own family was the greatest and regarded with sheer contempt among every clan, except for the Kaguya who were considered completely mad.

And Naruto Uchiha with his sharingan, rumored fighting prowess, his acts of killing his own clansmen, and now with his dangerous fox was fast proving himself a terrible and disgusting foe.

Yet Hashirama Senju's eyes widened momentarily when those same dark brown eyes glanced in his direction. It was as if Naruto knew they were there which made the elder Senju grab his sword in alarm.

"Is he looking at us, Brother?" asked Tobirama in surprise,

"I guess so. It seems he has sensory powers just like you, Tobi" whispered Hashirama,

"He's a _Kinslayer_ " spat a disgusted soft feminine voice,

Hashirama glanced at his second youngest sibling and sighed. Tsunade had always been a feisty one and was much like their mother inheriting the same bright blonde hair and brown eyes alongwith her fair skin. One day she would become quite a great beauty, but just like their mother Tsunade fiercely loved her family and her morals.

And in her eyes, Naruto Uchiha was the _worst scum_ on earth.

He was responsible for the death of her older brother, Kawarama in the battle between their clans that happened a year ago. Tsuande had never forgiven the Uchiha for taking away the brother who had looked after her their entire lives, and it was also because of Naruto and his clansmen that Itama who was currently hiding beside them had lost an eye.

Hasirama, Tobirama, Itama watched their only sister stare at the _Kinslayer_ with sheer contempt and hate in her eyes. Not only was he responsible for harming her family but he had further degraded himself in the eyes of the entire world, including Tsunade's by killing his own people for power.

He might be one of the strongest warriors, but in her eyes he was nothing but a weak, power-hungry scum.

"We should report their movement to Father" suggested Hashirama, earning nods from his other clansmen hiding nearby.

"Should we not engage them, Brother? Together we can take down the _Kinslayer_ ridding the Uchiha of their precious Sharingan..." suggested Tobirama coldly, earning a harsh glare from his brother.

"We don't have the numbers and I can sense he won't go down without a fight. You killed his brother, he will not forget that" warned Hashirama,

"I can take him" challenged Tobirama with a glare,

 **"No"**

Tsunade and Itama flinched at their eldest sibling's harsh reply which instantly made Tobirama back down with a resigned nod. As their small scouting group started to retreat, her eyes zeroed in on the man she hated.

And he glanced back at her.

" _Kinslayer..._ " she whispered bitterly, wishing to gods that Hashirama had given her permission for this Uchiha's very existence was an insult to Kawarama's memory.

She didn't know how he knew where she was but he had also chosen not to attack, and instead gave a playful wink in her direction.

His infuriating smile only made her growl but on hearing Hashirama call for her, she reluctantly turned and joined her brothers and clansmen.

 _One day I will deliver my justice on you, Kinslayer_

* * *

 **Author's Notes: End of the first arc.**

 **Hope you guys liked it.**

 **I know there are quite a few questions in the minds of all my readers, and they will be answered in time. I promise.**

 **I've also published a new Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire) fanfic called "Wolves and Crows". Those who want are free to check it out. You can find it on my profile.**

 **Also, Reviews and Feedback are greatly appreciated.**

 **Thank you for the support so far.**

 **Until Next Time,**

 **Blackwolf501**


	6. Call To Arms

**Thank you for the support. Hope you continue it.**

 **Chapter 6**

 **Call to Arms**

* * *

 _(Eight Years Later)_

Naori Uchiha stood atop the walls of an ancient and proud castle of her clan. Considered one of their most strongest holdings in the Land of Fire, **Castle Tsukiyomi** was their clan's pride.

Built on top of a tall mountain it dared to reach the skies, with its lower levels being divided into seven long divisions each having a wide forest.

Ten times great armies of their enemies had attacked this Castle.

And ten times were they defeated.

More than half of those attacks had happened in the past eight years alone for the Uchiha had started doing something that threatened their enemies.

The dragons were gathering allies.

And unlike the Senju who were busy trying to gather support of only the largest and most powerful clans for their side, the Uchiha's had done the opposite. Instead of going after the bigger fishes, the Uchiha under the leadership of Naori had focused on smaller clans and those shinobi families that had lost their power.

The results were quite unique for both sides.

Today, the Senju clan was quite powerful in everything, be they power, money, or political clout. They had mighty allies in the form of the Sarutobi Clan, The Akimichi Clan, and the Inuzuka Clan. Together they all represented the strongest alliance in the southern areas of the Elemental Nations.

On the other hand, the Uchiha's were still the single most _largest_ clan having the most number of fighters than any other, even the Senju. They had developed great allies in the form of Aburame Clan, Shimura Clan, Yuhi Clan, Namikaze Clan, Kurama Clan, and many more smaller families. Together these clans combined represented the single most largest and cunning faction.

But there were still many more clans who were yet to choose sides.

However, Naori knew it was inevitable.

The gathering of such powerful factions on this scale was a clear indication of something inevitable...

 _The Great Clan War._

She had done her best to gather as many allies for her people, most smaller families who had lost their prestige had readily flocked to the **_Dragon_** banner for they had all heard of Madara's exploits. The clan heir had grown to become one of the most, if not the most powerful shinobi across the elemental nations. Someone against whom not even the Senju's dared to openly strike unless they had the support of one powerful shinobi.

Madara had made himself famous, when at the age of 13, the young Uchiha had single handedly defeated the entire Aburame Clan in single combat leading to their surrender and joining the Dragon banner.

Seeing an ancient and noble clan like the Aburame being defeated like that had made the remaining lesser clans join the Uchiha quite quickly. The Shimura Clan had joined quite eagerly without asking for anything in return.

However, the Yuhi, Namikaze, and Kurama Clan had taken quite some persuading alongwith fertile lands to settle upon in the Uchiha territory alongwith inter-marriage between their families and lesser powerful Uchiha families to join the cause. And Naori had done her best to create the perfect balance.

But it was not enough.

For if the Uchiha had Madara to rally behind, the Senju had their own hero.

 _Hashirama Senju._

Considered to be the most powerful shinobi of this era, Hashirama was the only person who had faced Madara in single combat and not only did he survive but actually forced Madara to a **_draw_**. The Senju was highly respected among his clan and it was his jovial and friendly nature that made powerful clans like the Sarutobi, Inuzuka and Akimichi readily join their cause.

Madara had developed a personal rivalry with the Senju leader which only went up a notch when Madara declared the **_Dragon_** as the Uchiha's official symbol, apart from their ancestral fan.

Hashirama retaliated in kind by choosing the **_Antler_** , a fine animal found in the forests as the Senju's official symbol, apart from the Vajra that had been their symbol for thousands of years.

She was distracted from her thoughts by the sound of steel clashing against steel.

Looking down into the training yard, she was pleased to see her six bodyguards engaged in a fierce duel.

Their group's name being inspired by that of their leader.

Naori's eyes settled upon the one having the most dark long hair tied in a ponytail as he finished performing his hand seals unleashing a massive fireball. His dark eyes settled upon his opponent as he unleashed the blazing jutsu, out of the six he was the best Fire style user and a master at shurikenjutsu. Itachi Uchiha was all the Uchiha could ask from the new generation, a prodigy.

Beside him another boy with short spiky black hair and the same dark eyes raised a single finger shrouding the entire training arena in darkness. Naori still had trouble believing this Uchiha's talent with genjutsu despite his lack of sharingan, having placed many of his enemies in unbreakable illusions before ending their lives with his hyper-fast shunshin; Shisui Uchiha was the most devious and fastest of the group.

A burst of chakra made sure the illusion was dispersed before it took hold by none other than Kagami Uchiha. Charging forward he engaged both Itachi and Shisui in fierce Tajiutsu combat pushing both talented boys back. He was physically stronger than every member of his group and as quick as a bird.

The sound of clashing steel again assaulted Naori's ears as she glanced at the twins attacking one fighter fiercely. Takeshi and Mikoto were the newest members of the group, they were once servants having been deemed too weak to fight. But during one of the sieges of their castle, the twins had taken up arms and slayed four grown men together. Their act of valor and strength hadn't gone unnoticed by the man currently battling against them, one who decided to make them fighters and was teaching them all he knew.

Naori couldn't help but smile at the young man of fourteen, soon to be fifteen who had kept her safe all these years.

Naruto Uchiha had made a name for himself in the elemental nations as the _finest swordsman_. Dazzling in his golden armor and his silky brown hair and angelic features, he was a handsome sight to look at. While his brother had made his enemies shake in fear, Naruto was hated and looked down upon because of his past actions. Many had dared challenge him, the most prominent being the Fuma Clan who had tried to take this castle only to be slayed in single combat by Naruto himself. She still shivered on remembering the day her nephew butchered the Fuma to their last member with _**Dawn**_ , his ancestral weapon ending a noble family that had lasted thousands of years.

The same boy blocked the sword strike from the twins with his own ancestral weapon before pushing them both back with a firm push. He smirked when Kagami, Itachi, and Shisui joined beside Takeshi and Mikoto; all of them now pointing their swords at him.

"Even now I can cut through the five of you like carving a cake!" mocked the Kinslayer,

The **_Kinsguard_ ** laughed at his remark but prepared themselves nonetheless.

Naori watched the group attack Naruto together which made him laugh as he activated his sharingan and began the battle. Naori couldn't help but remember the time when she thought Naruto would never gain friends because of his reputation. But as always he surprised her.

Itachi, Shisui, and Kagami despite being heirs to less powerful Uchiha families had made their own judgement of Naruto in the first three years watching the _Kinslayer_ and his actions. When Naruto continued to prove his loyalty to the clan over and over again, the three boys again requested to serve under Naruto with the aim of protecting Naori's life.

Naruto had agreed for he had personally seen the skill of the three boys in battle. At the same time, against Naori's wishes her nephew had inducted Takeshi and Mikoto under his command. The twins were supposed to be servants but Naruto took them under his wing and taught them how to be ninjas.

As the years passed, the group learned how to work together and accept each other despite their different likes and personalities.

 ** _Kinsguard_** , they were called for their unflinching loyalty towards their leader, _The Kinslayer._

Naruto chuckled when his kick connected with Takeshi's solar plexus making them boy gasp and fall to the ground in pain. He gave another quick roundhouse kick sending both Mikoto and Kagami crashing away. It was Shisui and Itachi who clashed their swords against him sending bright sparks everywhere.

However, Naruto rotated his longsword with enough force to disarm Shisui thereby leaving him open for Naruto's punch that connected with his jaw which sent him crashing away as well.

That only left the two most brilliant fighters of the Kinsguard against each other.

It was a well known fact that Itachi admired Naruto for his fighting skills. The boy had tried for years to defeat the Kinslayer in combat but was defeated everyday. His aim of defeating Naruto in sword fighting still evaded him everytime.

Itachi charged forward wordlessly aiming his weapon for a horizontal slash towards Naruto's chest, the older Uchiha simply side stepped before kicking Itachi in the knees earning a pained grunt. Both boys again began fighting fiercely but Naruto had a distinct advantage with his sharingan and Naori could see despite Itachi's best efforts, her nephew was handling the boy with ease.

Naruto finally had enough and charged forward feinting a strike to the right which made Itachi react in defense. The Kinslayer smirked victoriously by changing his sword hand to the left one and delivering a painful strike to Itachi's ribs that made the boy double over as Naruto placed his sword on his fellow Uchiha's neck.

"Still better than you..." taunted Naruto, but without any kind of arrogance or spite in his voice and instead offered his hand to Itachi when the boy made the sign of reconciliation.

"Someday I'll beat you, Lord Commander..." replied Itachi confidently, making Naruto groan at the title.

"How many times have I told you _not_ to call me that?" asked Naruto irritatedly, a frown arriving on his lips when Itachi blinked confusedly.

"You are our leader. It is befitting I address you by your position"

There were brief chuckles as the rest of the Kinsguard came forward and surrounded the two boys. It was Shisui who spoke first...

"Leave it, Naruto. You'd find it easier to make the Senju surrender rather than making Itachi ease up on traditions a little" teased Shisui, earning a mild glare from Itachi.

"How's the stomach, Takeshi?" asked Kagami humorlessly, earning a groan from the young boy.

"Fuck you"

Naruto chuckled at the playful banter amongst his friends at they mocked each other.

 _Friends._

He glanced at each of them and couldn't help but be glad for having them in his life. After his past, he had given up on any hope of ever finding people who liked him, most people in the world still hated him. But these five had looked past the hate and his past, they had made their own judgement and taken a risk of believing in him.

He looked at the lazy fox pretending to sleep in a nearby corner and couldn't help but grin proudly for these people around him were a proof of his claim that not all Uchiha were bad or simply insane as the beast considered.

Naruto still found it hard to believe Kurama had decided to travel with him. The only reason the beast had given for such an action was the fact that the Hagoromo and Kaguya Clans were hunting for him and it was safer if he stayed by Naruto's side. On being asked why, the fox had simply said that the Uchiha despite their madness were quite feared. Staying with them would help the beast keep an eye on them while also ensuring that he stayed out of human conflicts.

But Naruto doubted that it was the entire truth for Kurama was strong enough to handle anyone that threatened him. He liked to believe the fox came with him because they were friends. Apart from the Kinsguard, his aunt, the fox had been his constant companion and protected any that tried to harm him. It was Naruto and Kurama together who eliminated the entire Fuma clan in single combat, a fact that still made the Uchiha proud and made them accept the beast into their ranks.

"Do you guys ever rest?"

He turned to see his aunt approaching towards their group with a smile on her beautiful face. When the rest of the Kinsguard knelt respectfully, Naruto followed suit but only for a moment as Naori caught his shoulders swiftly making him look back at her with a puzzled look in his eyes.

"You're family. You never have to kneel before me..." she said gently, making him look away.

"I am disowned, Naori-sama" said Naruto curtly, unable to his sadness over the affair.

"Not to me"

She looked him in the eyes that were so much like his mother's.

"You are an Uchiha. You might not have our name, but you are my blood"

Naruto looked away unable to meet her piercing gaze that always made him feel like a child even if he was man now. Soon to be fifteen of age which was quite old in the short lived mortality of their world, Naori still made him feel like a young boy. And as frustrating it was, it didn't change the fact that it was endearing as well for here away from his father and elder brother, Naruto still had family in his aunt who had looked after him all these years as if he were her own son.

He watched her interact happily with his friends, praising them for their skills while also pointing out their mistakes. And it was fair to say people respected her, loved her, which was the opposite of what most thought of him.

He was still lost in his own melancholy when Naori grabbed his arm making him look back at her.

"Walk with me" she commanded, earning a swift nod from her nephew.

Naruto bid his friends goodbye as he started walking with his aunt observing the rest of their outpost members busy with their work. Servants were seen buzzing around with their daily chores, the weapons smith was forging some new swords, the guards were manning their stations with full vigilance, the trader sat in a corner offering various goods from lands far and near, the whores were present in a far off building waiting for any who wanted to enjoy their services.

As they walked through their castle, every man, woman or child stopped to greet his aunt respectfully, even calling him Lord Commander for he was responsible for the security of this castle.

But as soon as they turned their backs, those very same people glared at his back and whispered with loathing evident in their voice.

 _Kinslayer._

He had gotten used to it over the years, often smiling at those glares and whispered taunts. But everytime it felt like a dagger to his heart, one which he would bear for the rest of his life and nothing would ever change the stain on his honor and his reputation.

"Does it bother you?" asked Naori sadly, and was not surprised when he gave her a mocking smile.

"A dragon doesn't bother with the opinion of sheep" replied Naruto with such ease that made her believe him, but his eyes spoke a different story.

"Your eyes betray your pain, Naruto. They have always held a beautiful yet sad melancholy look in them..." whispered Naori,

He faltered at her acute observation still not used to the fact that she could read him like an open book when most people didn't. Or maybe it was the fact that they hated him intensely that made them blind.

" _Poetic_. I never thought one so beautiful could be this artistic..." he praised with a grin, making her sigh tiredly.

"We have a visitor today" she said seriously, ignoring his sarcasm.

"Who?" he asked, all playfulness gone from his voice as his eyes turned cold and attentive.

"Sakumo Hatake"

Despite his shock, Naruto didn't falter and continued walking by her side and she could see his sharp mind was running through the implications of this event.

"He is a sworn ally of the Senju's, isn't he?" asked Naruto curiously,

"He is, as is the rest of his clan. But today he came to us for aid..." revealed Naori frankly,

Most Uchiha's would have erupted in anger over the actions of a known enemy, but not her nephew. She watched him close his eyes briefly and when he spoke she couldn't help but see her brother in him.

"The Hatake Clan are distant allies of the Senju. They have fought for them for nearly a century but I have heard recent reports of discontent growing in their ranks. Most prominently due to the frequent land poaching done by the Sarutobi Clan in their lands with the permission of the Senju's. Something has changed..." suggested Naruto,

"Correct. Something has happened..."

By now they had reached her chambers and Naruto saw a tall man with pure silver hair that reached up to his shoulders and stark grey eyes waiting for him. The man was fully armed and armored carrying with him a fine short sword and the symbol of his clan, **_a eagle_** on his chest.

 _The White Fang_ , people called him.

And he was straight to the point.

"Have you made a decision, Naori-sama?" asked the Hatake curtly,

The Uchiha woman smiled as she walked past her nephew and the Hatake leader before seating herself in her chair. When she spoke again, both men were surprised.

"That depends on my nephew, Lord Sakumo" said Naori with a hidden smile,

Naruto unflinchingly stared as the man turned towards him, the judgement evident in his hard eyes but then his eyes shifted towards the Uchiha ancestral sword, **_Dawn_** , on Naruto's hip and he was reminded of something else.

"Naruto Uchiha"

The boy of fourteen knew saying his name was hard for the older man against the term people usually addressed him by. But Sakumo was a smart man who needed help, and Naruto was pleased to meet a leader who set aside his pride for his people even if the same man looked at him currently with disapproval evident in his eyes.

"Lord Hatake" he replied curtly,

"You have asked for our help, Lord Sakumo. And while it is true that I am the representative of my clan on behalf of my elder brother, it is my nephew who retains command of our forces stationed here so far from home. If you need aid, you have to make your case to him" directed Naori, surprising Naruto as he stared at her.

He was no longer the heir or even a spare, and yet his aunt always liked to thrust these political problems at him quite often. Even now she was smiling amusedly waiting for his decision as Lord Sakumo stared at him impatiently.

"Let's hear it" said Naruto in a resigned voice,

"The Yamanaka..."

Naruto didn't miss the hatred in the man's voice or the anger present in his grey eyes as he said the name of one of the most noble and feared clans of the world.

"What of them?" asked Naruto seriously,

"A week ago, Iwashi Yamanaka, the current heir of the clan abducted my daughter from my home forcefully. I want her back" said Sakumo bitterly,

Naruto appreciated a man who got to the point without any unwanted conversation.

"Last I heard, you are a sworn ally of the Senju Clan, _our enemies_ , why not ask them for help in this matter?" asked Naruto seriously, looking harshly upon the clan leader.

"Don't you think I have tried, _boy_? Hashirama Senju asked for time to resolve this matter because his efforts to make the Yamanaka join his side are more important than the safety of _my daughter_ or the _injustice_ done to our clan which has served Hashirama's family for generations" explained Sakumo furiously,

Naruto ignored the remark thrown at him and walked towards the man. Despite his young age he was still tall enough to almost stare the older man in the eye and his armored form only seemed to make Sakumo stiffen.

"And why would the Uchiha help a clan that has been _our sworn enemy_ for generations? Our own side has been trying to make the Yamanaka side with us, if we help you then we will simply make them join the Senju's. And last I checked, the Yamanka Clan has more fighters than you and their mind jutsu are more dangerous than your entire clan combined" explained Naruto honestly, a dangerous glint in his eyes that made Sakumo flinch.

Naori sipped her wine with a smile, quite pleased with having her nephew tear into the enemy clan leader. She loved watching his hidden potential, for Naruto was as skilled with his words as he was with his sword _._

 _He would make a good leader._

She proudly watched the anger and righteousness disappear from Sakumo's face as he now looked like a defeated man.

"It is true that we have been enemies but when my sworn allies forsake me, I am left with no choice but to approach a faction that has the power to save my daughter. If I act against the Yamanaka, which I want to, the Senju clan will destroy my clan for hindering their _great cause_ of gathering powerful allies. But my daughter..." said Sakumo briefly with a nasty scowl present on his face,

Most people would have reacted favorably in the helpless man's side, Naori knew Madara would for he was a man of action, one thirsted for battles no matter the foe. But Naruto was a different man, forged through hardships and scorn he faced in his life that made him look at the world differently than his brother.

"I'm afraid we cannot help you, Lord Sakumo. Have a good day..."

Sakumo was left speechless by the boy's decision but looking into those stone cold eyes reminded him of the fact that he was an Uchiha and they were never known to be kind, merciful or just even to their own clan members much less to those belonging to other clans.

He had known about this possibility but had still hoped to gather some support for his family and clan by manipulating the Uchiha's hatred for the Senju's. But the Kinslayer was far sharper than people gave him credit for, the boy might be a criminal but he was dangerous, Sakumo had seen that.

He looked at Naori one last time for another answer but she regretfully shook her head accepting her nephew's decision. Tired and defeated, Sakumo turned around and started to walk away when he was forced to stop.

"Swear fealty to my clan, and I promise to give you back your daughter, your lost lands, your stolen dignity and make your enemies repent for their actions against you"

Sakumo turned back swiftly, his face a mask of surprise and relief which was further elated when he saw Naruto stare back at him unflinchingly.

"I will _personally_ lead this mission alongwith my **Kinsguard** and see that justice is done for both our clans" promised Naruto,

"Naru..." said Naori hesitantly, while she knew he was strong going up against the Yamanaka Clan with just his Kinsguard was not enough. More than that it was not worth risking so much for the Hatake Clan that barely had 300 fighters.

Naruto looked back at her with a conviction ever present in his brown eyes.

"If we can't protect our prospective allies, then why should they protect us?"

Sakumo looked on as Naori nodded her head albeit reluctantly giving her approval which finally made the boy in golden armor start his own march towards the exit.

"Kinslayer..."

Naruto stopped only to turn around and find Sakumo staring back at him but with less distaste in his hard eyes.

"You're not the man I expected you to be" stated Sakumo honestly, and saw a far off look present in the boy's eyes likely as he remembered some memory from his past.

"Neither did I, Lord Sakumo..."

The boy gave a curt nod before marching out without ever looking back, his dark cloak strapped on his armor swirling gracefully behind him. Sakumo didn't know how long he stayed there staring at the door for a lot of things had changed for him in the past few minutes.

Most of all, he had judged a man wrongly.

It was always said that even the most powerful and deceptive ninjas couldn't hide their treachery or evil lurking in their hearts if one looked closely in their eyes. For the eyes were a reflection of a person's heart and today he had seen the heart of Naruto Uchiha.

He felt another presence arriving beside him and saw Naori staring at the same door with a sad look in her eyes.

"Do you think he can do it?" asked Sakumo finally, making the beautiful Uchiha smirk.

"He never makes empty promises. If he says he will do it, _then he will_ " assured Naori, and saw the Hatake Clan head close his eyes for several long moments before opening them again with clarity present in those orbs.

"If he manages to save my daughter without attracting the attention of the Yamanaka, Senju or anyone else, then I will officially join your side alongwith my clan. The Hatake will fight for you, we are not a large clan but a proud one. And we can fight as fiercely like any other great clans" promised Sakumo, earning a nod from Naori.

"Then for the time being until Naruto completes his mission, you shall be our guest. Once the deed is done, we'll make the treaty official, and while I have every faith in your integrity I will remind you that a dragon _never_ trusts easily and if wronged, it **_burns_ ** its enemies to ashes" said Naori cryptically, with a chilling smile that made Sakumo shiver as he remembered how Madara Uchiha alone had decimated the Aburame Clan in single combat.

And he had no intention of pissing off that dangerous man.

Naori smirked when her point was made and when she saw the raw fear in Sakumo's eyes likely because of Madara's reputation of raining down **_Fire and Blood_** on their enemies, compared to him Naruto was far too merciful and accommodating.

Something which people took him granted for, including the man beside her.

Sakumo stiffened and looked in alarm as the woman beside him unleashed a dangerous amount of killing aura right at him. Her dark eyes boring into his very soul with barely restrained hatred and anger completely abolishing her prior image of a simple diplomat.

And while Naori had not taken out any weapons against him, Sakumo could feel the threat quite clearly.

"We respect our allies and expect the same in return, Sakumo Hatake. You have called my nephew a name today, and if you dare repeat that or something worse than it'll not be just me that you'll piss off, but _Madara Uchiha_ and _Tajima Uchiha_ themselves. Compared to them and me, Naruto Uchiha is far more merciful. **_Understood?_** " she asked icily,

He saw it then.

The madness this clan was famous and feared for.

Because there was none who loved or none who hated as fiercely as the Uchiha.

And the same madness lurked in Naori's eyes as she glared at him menacingly and he saw it in her eyes that this woman would butcher his entire clan if they wronged her own.

Compared to her, the look he had seen in Naruto's eyes was different.

It was a look of melancholy and sadness hidden behind smiles or sarcastic humor he was famous for. He had a strength to him witnessed by Sakumo in just the way the boy carried himself, but most of all the boy was known for keeping his promises.

* * *

Naruto sat among his personal guard who were also his only friends in the world. Each of them staring at him with mixed expressions as he finished explaining the events that happened earlier.

"You want us to pass through _Senju territory_ to attack a great clan like the Yamanaka all by our own for the _Hatake Clan?_ " asked Kagami incredulously, summing up the thoughts of everyone else as well who stared at Naruto blankly.

"Naruto, your father has been trying to engage the Yamanaka for an alliance for almost a year now. If you do this, then it will all be for nothing" warned Shisui, making his stand on the matter clear as well.

"Why the hell should we even risk our lives? And the future of our clan for the Hatake? They have been our enemies for nearly a century responsible for the death of many of our breatheren. I'd say they _deserve_ what they've got" said Takeshi viciously,

Naruto looked at the two silent members of his group, ones who had yet to say anything and while he valued everyone's opinion, he valued the opinion of these two even more.

It was Itachi who looked back at him with a knowing glint in his eyes.

"Lord Commander, I am with you"

Naruto smirked at his friend for he was able to read between the lines, went past the impossibility and threats to see what could truly be achieved here. The opportunity of a lifetime...

"Something tells me you have a plan behind this. I'd like to hear it first before giving my opinion" said Mikoto frankly, earning a wide smile from the handsome Uchiha who was quite pleased to see her putting rationality before emotions and fears.

He looked at his opposing friends who were atleast now willing to listen to his idea, even if it was extremely crazy in their opinion.

"The Yamanaka will **_never_** join our side willingly no matter what Father does" stated Naruto honestly,

"Why?" asked Kagami with a frown on his face, which made Naruto nod.

"Because our clans are a little too similar. We Uchiha are masters of manipulation with our genjutsu and sharingan, the Yamanaka are the same with their mind arts. When one can control the will of another, they refuse to bow to someone similar to them capable of doing the same thing. The Yamanaka know that we Uchiha can _counter_ their mind manipulation no matter how subtle thereby rendering their chances of gaining advantage over us secretly useless. The Senju on the other hand are not so strong in the mind arts, and considering Hashirama's friendly and trustful nature, the Yamanaka will attempt his manipulation from the shadows. It will be subtle and may take time, but those _mindwalkers_ are willing to take the risk" explained Naruto seriously,

"Then why this _farce_ of talks with your father? If they really want to join the Senju, why not do so?" asked Takeshi irritatedly, having the shortest temper among them all and one who hated politics of any kind unlike his smart sister.

"To get as much benefit as they can from whichever side they join while also displaying a fake respect to the faction they choose not to join. It's a much larger game..." explained Itachi seriously, his face as blank as ever.

"They are dangerous. What should we do?" asked Kagami hesitantly,

The chilling smile that arrived on Naruto's lips momentarily stopped all their hearts.

 _"It's time to hunt a mindwalker"_


	7. The Young Dragon

**Thank you for the support. Hope you continue it.**

 **Chapter 7**

 **The Young Dragon**

* * *

(Two Days Later)

Naori watched her nephew mount atop his monstrous fox as his remaining companions arrived in the courtyard. She could see it in his eyes, the thirst for battle with the only difference between him and Madara being the fact that while the elder brother enjoyed killing, the younger one only liked to test his limits against worthy foes.

But what made her young nephew more dangerous than anyone, even Madara, was the fact that Naruto didn't fear death.

 _He welcomed it._

For it would free him from the hell that was his life and that gave him the power over most people for he didn't want money, power, or glory. He just wanted to redeem his disgraced name, no matter how impossible it was.

When he approached her, he again stepped down to the ground allowing her to kiss his forehead and cheeks.

"Be victorious" she whispered, unable to hide her worry for she loved this boy as if he were her own. That fact had became crystal clear the day his life had changed forever.

His words all those years ago of her abandoning him during his early childhood had made her feel more guilty than all the lives she had taken.

For she could have chosen to love a motherless child.

And instead she chose to serve the clan believing he would never remember her.

But now she couldn't help but think how things could have changed if she had been there for him. Would his life have turned out the same way? Would he still be a pawn for their clan, for Tajima's ambition?

"It's bad to bid someone farewell with tears before they leave for battle" he admonished with that ever present arrogant smile,

She didn't reply and embraced him fiercely as tears slipped from her eyes. He was taller and more stronger than her now, and yet she wished to see him safe and happy from all those who wished to harm him.

"Just be safe and if things get too risky, come back" she whispered worriedly, and felt him stiffen in her embrace.

"We need this Alliance, Naori" he said seriously,

"Not if it means losing you or worse"

He couldn't help but smile and kiss her forehead, for this beautiful woman had looked after him more than his own father ever had. There were very few for whom he had any feelings, she was one of them.

"I won't die. _Not until I kill Tobirama Senju_ " said Naruto furiously, his hatred for the second Senju heir seeping into his voice which made her clutch him more fiercely.

"Promise me you won't engage the Senjus. Killing Tobirama will not heal your pain..." suggested Naori, but he shook his head.

"He took away the one I loved most in this world. And I will take away all he holds dear before ending his miserable life and only then will I join my brothers" he whispered hatefully,

"You still have one brother in this world, Naruto. And he loves you more than anything"

Her words made him falter as he remembered the sibling who had defied everyone for him. One who would not hesitate to burn the entire world for him.

"Madara has Father. And I have to avenge Izuna..." he said stubbornly, making her break the hug and stare at him furiously.

"And what about me?"

Again, this woman made him feel more guilty than anyone else ever had. He looked away for he was not able to meet her piercing gaze that held so much anger but love for him at the same time.

"You should have been my mother"

Her heart warmed and broke at the same time hearing him say that. For hidden in those words was all he felt for her and the place she had in his heart.

"Then promise me..." she insisted fiercely,

"Naori..." he sighed, but she grabbed his chin forcefully making him look back in her eyes.

"Promise me..."

His defiant stare fought against her fierce gaze but she didn't break nor flinch which made him finally sigh in defeat.

"Very well. I will not engage the Senjus and only focus on the mission. **I promise** "

He smiled when pure relief washed across her face and her eyes lost some of the unbearable tension she had ever since his decision to take this mission. While she had insisted for him to take more men than just his Kinsguard, but he had refused for there was no need.

And he liked to work with people he trusted.

"Come back to me unharmed and victorious, then I shall give you a gift" she promised with a smile,

He smirked in return even as he moved to mount his beastly fox who simply stepped aside making the heavily armored Naruto fall flat on his face in the ground.

Naori and the rest of the Kinsguard laughed heartily even as Naruto glared daggers at the beast who stared back at him unapologetically.

It was with this happy memory that she watched him depart and made a silent prayer for his safety.

* * *

(Nightfall)

The group of six Uchiha's and one giant fox finally stopped their fast journey when they reached the borders of their clan territory. A few miles ahead began the borders of their most hated and dangerous enemy, The Senju.

Every member of the squad could feel the unspoken tension in the air as they saw Naruto's harsh stare fixated on the Senju borders. The hatred ever present in his eyes as his heart yearned for the one thing he had always wanted.

A chance to avenge his beloved brother.

It was a strange paradox for Kurama to witness, for the same boy had remained loyal and devoted to the Uchiha Clan even after all that was done to him. His love for his family exceeding the disgrace laid down upon him.

And yet at the same time his hatred for one Senju knew no bounds, and Kurama didn't doubt for a single second of the unspoken horrors Naruto was capable of inflicting just for a single chance of revenge.

He was an Uchiha and at the end of the day nothing would change that.

But the beast was relieved when the boy gave a resigned sigh before averting his gaze from the enemy borders and turning back towards his squad. If there was one thing true about the boy was the fact that he kept his promises, no matter what happened.

And that Naori woman had used that for his own good.

"We shall make camp here and move forth at midnight" commanded the Kinslayer, earning nods from his squadmates until Itachi presented one problem of their plan.

"While we can move swiftly in the darkness, it still leaves us open for detection. The Senju Clan is known for their hidden traps and sensor patrols. Any mistake and we will be surrounded before we can even blink" warned Itachi,

"That is a risk we must take. I guess it's better we are just a squad then, and not a small company as Naori-sama was suggesting" said Kagami honestly, but Takeshi shook his head in protest.

"There is strength in numbers. We could have used that extra help if not to confront the Senju in case of trouble, then atleast against the Yamanka Clan who will have a sizeable chunk of their fighters defending their homeland" said Takeshi with a frown,

Before anyone else could offer any more suggestions, Naruto's amused laughter again gathered the attention of the group.

"You gone senile, _Golden Boy?_ " asked Mikoto slyly as she stared at his golden armor.

Chuckles and jeers erupted at her remark as Naruto blushed and glared at her, even Kurama snorted at the nickname this woman always had for his friend.

"Shut it, _Miku-baka_ " he retorted sharply, resulting into Mikoto's eyebrows twitching violently as her twin brother laughed boisterously.

"Seriously, you guys. We're on a mission, you know" whispered Itachi in his usual broody tone,

After another few minutes of childless bickering, Naruto finally managed to gain control and looked at all his squadmates including the lazy fox pretending to sleep in a nearby corner.

"Do you trust me?" he asked seriously, his face losing all the joviality.

"Do we have a choice?" retorted Takeshi with an eye roll, and grunted in pain when two hard bops connected on his head courtesy of Mikoto and Kagami.

"We do, _Lord Commander_ " assured Itachi with a feint smirk, making Naruto groan at the stupid nickname earning another round of smirks and chuckles from his group of crazy friends.

"Then I'll reveal our next action when the time is right" replied Naruto cryptically,

Surprisingly, Kurama saw all the squad members nod in agreement as they warily glanced at their surroundings clearly understanding Naruto's hidden message.

 _Be on guard._

The Biju couldn't help but agree with his friend's decision to stay silent for even if they were still in friendly territory, there was still a chance of enemies lurking nearby. And it would be utter folly if their mission plan was explained out here in the open.

The same had been the case when they had been preparing at their base for there were many people there whom Naruto didn't trust, even if they were Uchiha. And the Kinslayer still didn't trust Sakumo, so he had refrained from explaining his strategy of rescuing the Hatake clan head's daughter from the Yamanaka.

And it was a testament to the loyalty and trust the Kinsguard had in their leader that made them accept such a risky mission, and still go on forward without knowing their battle plan.

They were risking their lives for Naruto Uchiha.

And Kurama saw the determination in his friend's eyes to keep his loyal comrades safe.

"We have roughly six hours, so we'll rest in shifts. I'll take the first one with Kagami, the rest two can be decided by you guys" advised Naruto, earning another round of affirmative nods from the squad.

* * *

(Few Hours Later)

The sound of lips smashing softly echoed near the shores of the silent Naka river as two Uchiha's engaged in a messy tangle of limbs were lost in one another's company.

That was the case until one of them stopped earning a sharp glare from the other.

Naruto had the grace to feel guilty and apologetically stare at the beautiful woman currently lying beneath him. Although her next words rendered him speechless.

"Are you into boys?"

Mikoto smirked when he spluttered for a simple reply with his cheeks flushing red in embarrassment. She sighed and entangled herself out of his embrace much to his disappointment, but a swift glare from her made him raise his hands up in surrender.

She watched him remain silent and stare wistfully at the Naka river that flowed silently in front of them.

"Why do you hesitate to go further, Naruto?" she asked gently, touching his arm with her hand offering her support.

" _Because I can't_. I am forbidden, and I'll spoil your future if we go further" he answered honestly, which made her grasp his arm roughly.

"It doesn't matter" she said defiantly, edging closer and laying down lingering kisses on his cheeks and neck which made him sigh in pleasure.

"It matters to me" he whispered, but didn't stop her either.

Mikoto finally stopped her actions and looked in his eyes that had always held a never ending sea of pain and suffering.

"You know what they all call me: _Kinslayer, Traitor._..they all despise me. I don't want that for you because it will happen if we go any further, not to forget the trouble it will land my father and elder brother in" he explained hesitantly, which made her sigh but she grabbed his cheeks gently.

"I was the daughter of a servant, you know. Destined to be a whore until the Fuma Clan attacked our Castle forcing me and my brother to defend ourselves. The guards rushed to protect the important nobles and heirs of lesser Uchiha families leaving us all alone. We fought as best as we could, even killing four fighters who underestimated us. But we knew we would die there, until you came along" she whispered lovingly,

He listened to her words and was mesmerized by the sheer happiness and pride that was present in her eyes.

"Even if we were Uchiha, nobody bothered to protect the servants and whores. You and the lazy fox were the only ones that came out to defend us. I remember being mesmerized watching your golden armor, your handsome face, your swift dance with your sword and the beastly slaughter by the fox. It was a massacre, but to me it was one of the most beautiful things in the world" explained Mikoto fondly,

He couldn't help but smile, the pain in his heart being forgotten for atleast he was able to give this girl something to be happy about. Even if it was just his duty that demanded it.

"You were always kind and courteous to us servants even if most looked down upon you. I and my brother were not much different, but when the battle was over you walked to us stained with blood and guts, saying the words no one ever said to us after our parents died" she whispered,

"Are you okay?" he repeated shyly, remembering the moment which made her smile as well.

"Everyone always asked me and my brother to believe and follow many things: Traditions, our betters, our place in the world, our clan. But when I looked in your eyes the first time, _I knew I could believe in you_ "

She smiled when he averted his gaze in a pitiful effort to conceal his moist eyes, so she hugged him fiercely.

"I don't care what others think of you. Never have, never will" she promised, and felt him shake in her arms.

"Thank you" he whispered gratefully,

They both remained embraced in each other arms knowing that even if their hearts were together, their worlds were apart from one another.

Mikoto couldn't help but laugh when he reverted back to his usual self...

"I wonder what Takeshi's reaction will be should he find out about our _extra activities_. **Should be quite amusing...** "

He was relieved when she laughed further even as she bonked him lightly on the arm making him grin as well.

"You're a jerk" she retorted,

"One of my finest traits, apart from my swordsmanship" he boasted with a cocky grin,

"Modest, aren't we?" she teased, and watched him shrug shamelessly.

"Don't worry. I'm older than Takeshi..." said Mikoto confidently,

"By two minutes.."

He smirked when her nostrils flared and her face became red in embarrassment. When he saw her raise her clenched fists, he did the one sensible thing.

 _He ran._

* * *

(Midnight)

While darkness covered the dense forests of the Land of Fire, a group of six Uchiha and one fox stood near the river shore with heavy frowns on their faces as they stared at their grinning leader.

"Out with it" said Shisui impatiently, tired of Naruto's suspense.

"Since we cannot travel by land, we travel by water" said Naruto dramatically, even going so far as giving up a thumbs up which made Itachi sweatdrop.

"What difference does that make? We'll still be spotted..." muttered Takeshi,

Naruto sighed mumbling something close to _"No Imagination"_ which made Mikoto smirk. However, she was quite curious when Naruto raised his hand and the glare he got from the lazy fox was quite fierce. She always wondered about the beast's intelligence, and in this case its senses warned him just in time as Naruto raised seven large water bubbles with a single finger.

With his other hand, he took out seven identical large straws and threw them perfectly on top of the water bubbles.

Kurama felt a chill pass through his entire body when Naruto dropped his smile to replace it with a chilling gaze that made his surprised friends stand a little straighter and attentive.

" _We are ninjas_. **Stealth** is our finest weapon and we shall use it most unless forced to fight openly" said Naruto decisively,

"The current is strong downstream and we'll need proper navigation to reach Yamanka territory even if it is connected to Senju lands quite closely..." warned Kagami,

"And keep these bubbles together in an unbreakable link so none of us get separated because if that happens, we are done for" suggested Shisui,

"But we don't doubt your control over water and this is the best approach to reach our destination without attracting any attention. It's risky but doable" agreed Itachi with a firm nod,

Mikoto worriedly stared at the brown haired Uchiha in golden armor. She had never doubted his strength or his resolve, but their journey was going to be long, dangerous and tiring. Naruto alone would be responsible for keeping everyone alive for even a minor mistake on his part would mean death for any or all of them.

"What about your chakra reserves? Can you endure this journey without getting worn out? Because you won't get any chance to rest..." said Mikoto hesitantly, receiving a steely glance from the golden armored Uchiha.

"Just follow my lead and I will not fail any of you, I promise"

Despite the risks or challenges, Kurama himself alongwith the Uchiha's couldn't help but atleast respect Naruto's confidence and determination. Whether he could turn that into reality was a debatable question.

But he was their squad leader and he had given the command.

Objection was not an option.

* * *

(Two Hours Later)

Shisui gasped the first breath of fresh air as he finally emerged from the depths of the river, breaking free of the water bubble and was soon joined by the rest of his comrades who did the same thing as their group finally reached their destination.

Their heavy armor and weapons were previously stored in sealing scrolls before they began their uncertain journey.

He watched Naruto being the first one to reach the shore and look back at all of them with a cocky smirk.

"Cheater" mumbled Mikoto, for their leader had not swimmed or walked to the shore instead making the river water carry him to the lands on a small wave as if he was royalty while the rest of the squad was forced to walk, swim, and in case of a grumpy fox: paddle to the shore on four legs like a stupid dog for which it gave a nasty glare to its partner who merely patted his head affectionately.

As she reached the shore, Mikoto couldn't help but witness the unique relationship shared by Naruto and the fox.

The Uchiha always tried his very best to rile up the fox, and the beast did the same in return. But everytime they both simply laughed or grunted in the case of the fox at the end. Despite its nonchalant nature, she knew the fox was a deadly beast capable of slaughter having already helped Naruto in butchering the Fuma Clan.

She feared the day these two fought together again at their full powers for that day would be the true reckoning of the Uchiha Clan's words.

 _Fire and Blood._

But she also noticed that apart from teasing his friends by arriving first at the shore, Naruto had already placed silencing seals across a newly established perimeter by himself alongwith a heavy anti-detection genjutsu.

Currently, the Uchiha leader was busy using a simple wind jutsu to dry off his foxy friend who finally stopped scowling.

Shisui and Kagami did the same for the remaining squad.

Wordlessly, they unsealed their storage scrolls and armed themselves again. Now dressed in heavy armor with their weapons they were ready to carry out their mission.

Nobody said a word but there were a number of feelings lurking in their eyes.

Fear, Excitement, Anxiety, Doubt, Acceptance, and Determination.

"Liked the water ride?" asked Naruto with a jovial grin, instantly breaking the tension as everyone glared at him.

"Next time I'm walking" protested Kagami with a huff,

"Breathing from a straw for hours is damn uncomfortable!" complained Takeshi with a mild glare at his leader,

"Couldn't you have created a wind jutsu that allowed us to breath in the water bubble?" asked Shisui in a friendly manner,

Mikoto and Itachi simply shrugged while the giant fox grunted signifying his annoyance over the journey.

Kurama smirked when he heard Naruto mumble something close to _"Ungrateful Bastards"_ in a sulky voice earning amused chuckles from the group. The fox couldn't help but notice the subtle way in which the boy had reduced the brimming tension and anxiety of his group, even if it meant making himself the butt of a joke.

It was one of the many fine traits that set the boy apart from his ancestor, Indra.

But when everyone looked relaxed and ready, Kurama again saw the same deadly eyes of Indra Uchiha coming alive in this boy.

"We can discuss the battle plan now that I have secured this area" suggested Naruto seriously, referring to the genjutsu and silencing seals that would give them some much needed cover.

As he explained his strategy, most of his comrades clearly expressed the flaws and merits both but still gave their consent making him smile.

When everyone of them became clear as to their part in the plan, they all glanced back at Kurama which made the beast scowl as he noticed everyone apart from Naruto, Mikoto and Itachi staring at him skeptically. The former two cared for him and the latter was too smart to understand Kurama's hidden power even if he never expressed that sentiment aloud to anyone of his group or clan.

"Do you think the fox can handle a suitable distraction to alert an entire clan?" asked Takeshi hesitantly, afraid of the beast as it growled at him menacingly.

Naruto smirked receiving a devilish grin from Kurama.

"Oh, he's going to enjoy fucking with the _mindwalkers_ " said Naruto cheerfully, making his group sweat drop at the blood thirsty grin that arrived in Kurama's eyes. It was as if his leash was taken off and he was allowed to do something that was his true nature.

 _Be wild and create chaos._

"What is our plan of protecting the fox should he get into trouble?" asked Shisui worriedly, surprising Kurama quite suddenly.

"We need one of us to stay behind and keep an escape route ready should we fail or things get too hot. That person can also aid the fox should the need arise..." suggested Mikoto honestly, and saw the fox stare at her approvingly for her remark on it being able to handle Yamanaka.

"Who?" asked Kagami seriously,

Naruto again saw in the eyes of his friends: The Raw Clarity.

For the one who stayed behind faced a good chance of being the first to get killed alongwith the fox for the Yamanaka would start hunting them in full force. And that meant death.

The same was also the case for even the ones who would carry on the other part of the plan.

Naruto saw Kurama was just about to leave having no expectation of any Uchiha apart from the Kinslayer risking his life for the beast, and that would have been the case until one Uchiha did rise.

Shisui Uchiha had always been Naruto's most dutiful and loyal friend, one who never disappointed and that fact didn't change tonight as the same boy stepped towards Kurama much to the shock of the others.

"You really gonna risk your life for the fox should it get into trouble, Shisui?" asked Takeshi with a frown, his dislike for the fox clear in his voice.

"Yes"

Naruto couldn't help but swell with pride for with just a simple word Shisui had reaffirmed his belief that there was still hope for their clan. He was a fine warrior but a better man than anyone in their group. There was no hesitation or doubt in his determined eyes as he stared back at a surprised Kurama.

"Let's go, partner" said Shisui with a smile, earning an equally surprising friendly grin from the fox before they both walked away.

"Honorable Fool" mumbled Takeshi disappointedly, earning twin bops from Kagami and Itachi.

But Mikoto's gaze was fixed on Naruto's lingering eyes that were still staring at the retreating form of Shisui Uchiha. And in the Kinslayer's eyes, she saw something she had never seen before.

 _Admiration._

She couldn't help but feel that out of their whole group, Naruto admired and respected Shisui the most.

The boy was honorable, kind, brave, and loyal just like the Noble Samurai from the stories they had all heard when they were children.

Something she felt Naruto truly wanted himself to be until his life changed forever.

She watched him conceal his hidden feelings and take in a deep breath. When he looked back at the rest of their group, he was again the leader they needed at this time.

 _Naruto Uchiha, you are a mysterious man._

* * *

Shisui carefully concealed himself in the tall trees while his sharp eyes acutely observed Kurama who was nonchalantly walking on the ground. Just a few steps more and the fox would breach the sensor barrier that was always used by the Yamanaka.

No intruder could breach the clan's holdings without alerting their barrier teams who are always on duty. And yet Naruto had trusted this beast to cause a worthy distraction that would allow five Uchiha's to sneak inside in the chaos.

Shisui had already determined two separate routes that could be used by his team for quick escape in case of serious trouble, but had hope that Naruto could pull this through.

Because if he managed to do what he planned, it would greatly improve his tainted reputation in their clan and make their enemies fear him and their allies respect him.

Shisui as well as the rest of the Kinsguard had always wondered as to why Naruto had killed his own people. They had all harbored doubts and distaste about the boy, yet the same boy kept on fighting proving his loyalty over and over again despite the hate and scorn laid down on him by everyone.

The opinion of the Kinsguard members had changed the day when Naruto alongside the fox had charged out to meet the enemy Fuma Clan. He had risked his life to protect the servants and whores whom no one had bothered to defend as most Uchiha guards had decided to wait inside the great Castle protecting higher up noble heirs of important families and respected dignitaries, while the Fuma Clan burned down corridors and servant quarters.

His actions that day showed a side of him none of them thought ever existed. And when they took a risk getting to know him, they were all surprised to find the boy was nothing like the rumors proclaimed him to be.

And for that Shisui was ever grateful.

His eyes widened in horror and astonishment at the same time when the fox breached the barrier and unleashed such a massive outburst of chakra that sent Shisui crashing away from his safe location.

With a grunt he landed harshly upon the ground and couldn't help but gasp as the demonic chakra assaulted his senses.

For the first time in his life, he felt true fear and his own death in front of his eyes as he watched the fox glare hatefully with his demonic eyes at the Yamanaka settlement.

The sheer amount of energy that the beast just released erased any doubt from Shisui's mind.

 _This was no ordinary animal._

It was possibly a powerful summon or something much worse.

For the amount of chakra the fox had unleashed resulted into the barrier collapsing from the impact and soon enough alarm bells rang across the Yamanaka settlement as the _mindwalkers_ prepared for a full blown enemy assault.

Shisui could already sense the first responders charging towards his location in order to eliminate the threat.

Yet despite his fears and wariness of the fox, he got up and stepped beside the beast ready for battle.

Kurama raised an eyebrow in amusement when he saw the fear in Shisui's eyes and couldn't blame the boy for the amount of energy he had just released was more than that possessed by 1000 veteran ninjas. And that was just an ounce of his true power.

Still, he had to give the young Uchiha credit for when most would have fled from the spot; Shisui was controlling his fears as he unleashed his sword for their enemies were almost upon them now.

Kurama decided to have some more fun as he unleashed all of his nine tails and grew more larger in size much to Shisui's horror which only grew when the fox gave him a menacing smile.

 **"If you die, I'll eat you"**

Shisui blanched in pure shock on hearing the fox speak in actual human tongue. But soon enough he smirked which earned a grin from the large beast.

With a silent battlecry, the Uchiha and Biju teared into the first Yamanaka defenders.

* * *

Naruto watched the Yamanaka defenders running out of their massive clan castle by the hundreds while their civilian subjects screamed in terror across the town outside the castle.

He placed his hand on the ground and nodded silently when he felt the pieces falling into place.

With a flick of his wrist, he motioned for Itachi to move which the Uchiha boy did without hesitation and began silently running towards the town full of civilians while the rest of the squad rallied behind him.

"What happens now?" asked Mikoto hesitantly, on seeing the cold look in Naruto's eyes.

"They'll surrender or I will destroy them" he promised without remorse,

He turned back to his last three squadmates still left by his side. Mikoto seemed shaken having never seen a conflict of this scale, Takeshi looked ready to shed blood, while Kagami masked his emotions behind a stoic expression.

"At this rate, dozens will die" warned Mikoto,

"Hundreds" retorted Naruto coldly,

She weakly nodded for despite the harsh command it was her duty to follow his orders and at the very least there was no doubt in his eyes regarding his plan that gave all of them some hope.

"Mikoto, the Yamanaka are holding Kiara Hatake in the third tower of the castle. You will rescue her without fail..." commanded Naruto,

"What about the guards that are rushing outside the castle?" asked Takeshi seriously,

"When most of them are outside, we'll slip inside the castle and make our way towards their command and communication center. There I shall end this conflict or destroy this clan forever" said Naruto unflinchingly,

"Understood" replied Mikoto, performing a quick shunshin and going away in order to carry out her mission.

Naruto unleashed his sword as Kagami and Takeshi stepped beside him dutifully in order to fulfill their mission.

"We take this town tonight!"

* * *

Three shadows swooped across the vast corridors of the Yamanaka Castle hiding in the shadows. Their former clan affiliations masked by the present Yamanaka guard uniforms they had borrowed from some easy guards.

Most of the security forces of the castle had already moved towards the borders where the real action was happening.

Naruto couldn't help but grin for he knew Kurama must be having fun after a long time. The beast was forced to keep a low profile for years and only with the incident of the Fuma Clan was he allowed a chance to let off some steam.

Despite its friendly nature, Kurama was a beast of destruction and death.

Naruto had never forgotten that fact and nor would the Yamanaka after this day.

He still had doubts about exposing even a little of Kurama's true power knowing the Hagoromo and Kaguya clans were after him for reasons the beast was yet to disclose. Not to mention the Uchiha, Senju or any other clan would not allow such a powerful beast to roam free without aiding their cause.

However, Kurama had found a place for himself among the Uchiha due to his help in the massacre of the Fuma Clan.

Nor was the Uchiha Clan as weak as it was eight years ago, for they had many more allies sworn to their cause and were capable of dealing with any threat posed by the Kaguya or Hagoromo clans against the beast.

With that thought in mind, Naruto signaled his two comrades as they saw two guards protecting the nearest staircase that led to the command and communication center where the barrier teams and clan leadership would be scrambling to establish order.

Takeshi and Kagami expertly hit the two guards in the neck with sleeping darts allowing Naruto to charge forward and grab the now two unconscious Yamanaka quickly and hide their bodies in a nearby room.

He gestured for his comrades to hold as he sensed for any other presence on the upper stairwells, and when he found none except for a few strong ones at the top he gestured them to follow.

They ascended the staircases with as much speed as they could knowing that their speed would lead to either life or death for themselves.

Finally they reached the command center and saw twenty Yamanaka waiting for them with weapons raised.

"Guess it was too much to hope for a smooth takeover" said Naruto with a grin,

When he saw a few Yamanaka raise their hands to perform their clan's famous jutsu he quickly grabbed smoked bombs and so did Kagami and Takeshi from their pouches and shrouded the corridor in thick smoke.

Naruto activated his sharingan and his facemask ready to shield him from the smoke. As he located the chakra signatures of each of his enemies, he charged forward.

The first three guards died before they could even understand who hit them.

He could sense Kagami and Takeshi engaging their own foes as the smoke started to disappear courtesy of a quick wind jutsu from one of the Yamanaka.

When their visions cleared, Naruto found himself surrounded by atleast ten Yamanka while his friends fought against the remaining seven guards.

He smirked when they all attacked him at once with swords drawn in an attempt to hack him to pieces. He raised his own ancestral weapon blocking the enemy weapons and then much to their horror the Uchiha disappeared in a flock of crows.

 _Genjutsu._

Naruto didn't laugh or mock as per his usual nature and only used that small advantage to hack half of his foes by cleaving off their heads in one swift strike.

His sharingan rotated again predicting the moves of the remaining enemies as each of them tried to hit him from different angles.

He made a quick jump evading all the slashes and unleashed five quick and sharp kunai from his pouch with two of them ending in the skulls of Yamanaka guards while the rest were acutely deflected.

The last three Yamanaka guards cursed him loudly but his eyes were fixed on his friends.

Kagami gave a merciless strong kick to one of his enemies making the man cough blood before Takeshi's sword beheaded him instantly.

When two guards tried to attack Takeshi from behind, Kagami moved forward to his defense blocking the sword with his armed gauntlets much to the shock of the Yamanaka.

For while the Yamanaka were quite feared for their mind jutsu and interrogation as well as torture skills, they were no match when it came to deadly physical combat. A trait at which the Uchiha and Senju excelled at.

Kagami shoved his opponents back with a fierce push and quickly ducked just in time as Takeshi turned around and slashed the throats of the startled foes. The remaining two enemies took trembling steps backwards as both Uchiha boys stepped towards them.

But were prevented from fighting further when Naruto appeared behind the two Yamanaka stabbing one through the heart and another in the temple with his kunai. Looking back, they saw that each and everyone of the Yamanaka guards fighting against Naruto were all dead with gruesome wounds.

Naruto tossed his stained Yamanaka uniform which made Kagami and Takeshi do the same.

Now dressed in his golden armor bearing the insignia of a dragon he walked towards the door and gestured to his friends who swiftly nodded before placing explosive notes on the door.

With a thunderous blast, the locked door that was the last defense of the Yamanaka leadership was obliterated and three Uchiha's stormed inside to find a dozen Yamanaka gaping at them in shock.

Naruto's eyes zoomed in on one particular Yamanaka that was taller and looked more regal than the rest. If that was not enough to give away his identity, his invaluable family armor and stone cold gaze revealed his position.

Itama Yamanaka, current clan head and leader of his clan stared at the three Uchiha in front of him all armed and stained with blood.

 _The blood of his people._

His gaze narrowed when he saw the leading one having a facemask and dazzling golden armor bearing the insignia of a dragon on his chest and a dark black cloak fluttering on his back. And that sword...

There was no mistake.

 **"Kinslayer"**

Kagami and Takeshi were about to move in retaliation for the insult until they received one discreet glance from Naruto that commanded otherwise who then looked back at the Yamanaka clan leader with his own icy expression.

"Lord Itama" he greeted coolly,

"Why have you attacked my clan without any provocation from our side?" asked Itama accusingly, making his few guards tense up and brandish their weapons not that it attracted even an eyelash from any of the Uchiha's.

"In _retaliation_ from the crimes of your nephew, Iwashi Yamanaka, against the Hatake Clan by abducting their heiress. Since they are our sworn allies now it is our duty to bring them justice" answered Naruto honestly,

Itama's eyebrows shot up to his forehead at that revelation, unable to believe the Hatake who were sworn allies of the Senju's could so easily switch sides to the Uchiha's.

But then again Hashirama had shown quite favoritism to the Yamanaka Clan on Tobirama's insistence leading to this mess.

Itama Yamanaka knew trouble had started the day his nephew had laid eyes upon the Hatake girl when their clan visited Sakumo for a meeting. Itama had dearly loved his older brother who died a few years ago, his wife even before that leaving their only son Iwashi in his uncle's care and he had tried to look after the boy and preserve his right as the clan heir until he became strong enough.

But Iwashi proved to be a disappointment and was not at all like his dutiful parents who died for their clan. The boy was only interested in women, sex and alcohol.

Habits that led to all this bloodshed.

Even so, it didn't change the fact that it was the Yamanaka who were attacked tonight and Itama had a duty to protect his people no matter who the foe was.

"Is that what you tell yourself? That you're a _servant of justice_? You who killed your own people?" mocked Itama, and smirked when Naruto's grip on his sword tightened but his face displayed no outward aggression at the insult.

If not anything else, Itama could see the Kinslayer had quite a firm grip on his emotions. But if possible his blazing sharingan eyes burned with even more hatred and malice.

"Your nephew is a fool, Lord Itama. Right heir maybe, but a person who brought great suffering to your noble clan. He will only bring ruin to your people, but you are the rightful leader your people need in this hour and the future" said Naruto calmly,

"What are you saying?" asked one of the Yamanaka guards suspiciously,

"Sentence your nephew to whatever justice Sakumo Hatake deems just for his crimes alongwith all those who participated in this crime. You shall also pay reparations to the Uchiha Clan for you have **_dared_ ** to harm one of our allies, and from this day forth you and your clan shall serve my clan till the end of time"

Kagami and Takeshi stiffened on hearing Naruto's demands and judging from the rising red on the Yamanaka faces they could see these people were just about to explode for unlike the Hatake, the Yamanaka no matter how weak in actual combat were an ancient and noble clan with great power.

"How dare you..." snarled Itama in fury, making his guards step forward.

If possible Naruto's cold smile turned even more menacing as he pointed to the great barrier in the middle of the room that marked the location of each and every fighter alongwith their affiliations.

And in a matter of seconds, the situation and numbers changed quite drastically.

Where there were once nearly a 1000 Yamanaka fighting against two large chakra signatures which were Shisui and Kurama, now there were nearly 300 more chakra signatures all bearing the marks of the Hatake Clan followed by hundreds more of the Uchiha Clan courtesy of Naori doing her part in the plan.

 _The Yamanaka Clan was surrounded._

If that was not enough to make Itama and his supporters lose the color from their faces, the next news was the final nail.

"Lord Itama, our own civilians are **_attacking_** our own guards! They all seemed to be in some kind of genjutsu" shouted one of the barrier team ninjas,

Takeshi and Kagami looked at each other and knew the one responsible for this bizarre action.

 _Itachi._

"Or you can choose to defy us and face the consequences. You know our numbers now, our power, the fact that we have you surrounded and cornered. If I give the command my forces will tear down your town walls and storm this castle" promised Naruto coldly,

Itama took a step back when the Kinslayer unleashed his full killing intent making most Yamanaka's fall to their knees and look away from those murderous sharingan that promised to give them painful deaths.

 **"Hundreds will die, most of them your own. The first wave will be your own civilians that are being controlled by one of my men. So you'll start this bloody battle by killing people that have served your clan for generations. The second wave will be Hatake's who are itching for vengeance. My Uchiha fighters will follow when most of your fighters are dead, wounded or tired. When this castle falls, all those inside will be executed including your entire family. Your people will be butchered, your towers will burn, I'll destroy this castle stone by stone, and by the time I am done no one will ever know the Yamanaka clan ever existed"** pledged Naruto darkly,

He walked forward and grabbed the shaken Yamanaka clan leader by the neck looking the now terrified man clearly in the eyes.

 **"I'll cut off your limbs painfully and make your pregnant wife watch. Then before I kill you and her, I shall tear apart her belly showing you both the face of your unborn child before killing it as well"**

Naruto removed his grip from the man's neck making the now trembling man fall to his knees for the Uchiha in front of him had made him see the vision in reality with the help of his sharingan. Everything he had said, he was going to do it including the act of killing Itama's unborn child in front of him alongwith his wife.

The trembling man looked at the Kinslayer remembering this _monster_ had not even spared his own people butchering innocent men, women and children. And those were his own people...

"Lord Itama, I'll leave you to make your decision" said Naruto icily,

Without another word, he turned around and marched towards the destroyed exit with his comrades following after him. The Yamanaka were about to breathe a sigh of relief for the devastating killing intent started to recede until it came back in full force when Naruto stopped at the edge of the destroyed doorway staring back at Itama Yamanaka with his cold sharingan.

 _"I hope you'll remember my clan's words, Itama Yamanaka"_

And then he walked away even as the famed Uchiha words sent a shiver down the Yamanaka's hearts.

 **Fire and Blood**


	8. Homeland

**Thank you for the support. Hope you continue it.**

 **PS: Happy 2017!**

 **Chapter 8**

 **Homeland**

* * *

The Kinsguard watched with great pride as the finely crafted Dragon banner alongwith the Uchiha Clan symbol now floated side by side alongside the Yamanaka Flag on top of the castle.

The fighting was over.

Nearly 43 Yamanaka had to perish in battle for this feat to happen but now the Uchiha had managed to gain the loyalty of two great clans thereby boosting their power and reputation across the elemental nations even further.

Naori Uchiha had herself arrived alongside Sakumo Hatake bringing with them the strength of the entire Hatake Clan and nearly 300 Uchiha fighters that proved enough of a threat to make the Yamanaka surrender.

Loud cheers could be heard across the town square as both the Uchiha and Hatake were praising the Kinsguard who led the assault and rescued Kiara Hatake as well.

Most of all, there were many among the Uchiha who were praising Naruto who stood beside his friends with his surprised expression hidden behind his facemask.

 **"THE YOUNG DRAGON!"**

Naori couldn't help but smile when few of her clansmen praised her nephew by the name he was bestowed with years ago ignoring the crude name he was tainted with. And while those Uchiha were very few among all their fighters, it was a start.

For Naruto Uchiha had proved himself again and this time his victory was no small one.

"I asked him to do this quietly without alerting anyone especially the Senju of our involvement in my daughter's rescue. He broke our agreement!" hissed Sakumo silently, earning a sharp glare from Naori.

"You think we were going to take all this risk just to save your daughter? Lord Hatake, you conveniently want to serve the Senjus while taking the help of the Uchihas whenever your masters deny you justice. That will **_not_** be tolerated" warned Naori, her menacing eyes boring right into the heart of Sakumo Hatake.

''Where is my daughter?" asked Sakumo worriedly, and saw Naori smirk viciously.

"Safe with us in our stronghold. We will return her back to you once we sign the official alliance treaty with you and the Yamanakas" said Naori sweetly, and couldn't help but smile when Sakumo paled.

"You can't do this!" replied Sakumo angrily, his hand itching towards his sword.

"I have already done it, Lord Hatake. You work for us now and it will be best if you side with us quickly for the Senjus have called their allies and you won't like what they do to you if we are defeated"

Sakumo had gone deathly pale as he realized the consequences of his actions. He had hoped that Naruto would do this quietly without implicating the Hatakes, all this time he had assumed it was Naruto who was making the decisions.

 _But it was always her._

Naori knew the Hatake's couldn't afford to side with the Uchiha nor could the Yamanaka because their territories were right next to Senju borders.

Hashirama Senju would never allow the Uchiha's to have influence right across his doorstep.

Naori had reluctantly made Sakumo bring his troops to battle alongwith Uchihas as a precaution to safeguard his daughter in case Naruto failed. Her reasoning seemed true back then and he had agreed for he loved his daughter too much. Now that same love had implicated him.

The Senjus would never forgive him for this even if he betrayed the Uchihas.

He looked at Naori and couldn't help but imagine someone so beautiful could be capable of such deviousness. This woman also now held his daughter as a bargaining chip to make sure he didn't cross the line, while Naruto had somehow intimidated the Yamanaka so much that they had surrendered very quickly.

"You're good at this game..." said Sakumo finally with a resigned smile,

"I always play to win, Lord Sakumo. It is true that I made you believe that my nephew holds all the power which he does to an extent, I allowed him to make his battle plan because I see great potential in him. At the same time, I had to make sure the Uchiha Clan gained something significant from this engagement. Not all battles are fought with the sword" explained Naori honestly,

"You're a dangerous woman..." admitted Sakumo begrudgingly, making her smirk.

"That I am..."

* * *

Naori found her beloved nephew standing on top of the castle he captured a fortnight ago. She saw him staring at the vast forests surrounding the Yamanaka territory as well as the small celebrations conducted by their own clansmen with the Hatake's inside the town.

She stepped beside him and couldn't help but look at his face that seemed deeply lost in thoughts.

"I kept my promise"

Naori smiled at him and took his hand in hers giving it a gentle squeeze.

"Thank you" she whispered gratefully, knowing that it was her turn to uphold her own promise made to him.

"What was my mother like?''

He looked in her eyes and all she could see was a curious child and not the man who could make his enemies cower with his mere gaze.

"I'm sure many have already told you over the years that you look like her" reminded Naori, making him nod in confirmation.

"Madara, Inabi, and Yashiro took after their Father in looks and character. But you and Izuna were Hikari's truest sons, she loved her family more than anything. Her boys meant the world to her and for their sake she was willing to do anything, even if it meant giving her life or taking those of others" explained Naori patiently, and saw him ponder over her words.

As the wind softly ruffled his silky hair, he gave out a wishful sigh.

"I wonder what she would think of me now after all the things I've done..." he suggested,

"She would love you just the same even if she never knew why you did what you had to. Mothers are like that..." promised Naori,

"Like you?" he asked amusedly, making her grin.

"Yes"

They both became silent after that and settled for gazing at the celebrations happening across the town. Their only solace being the soft intertwined hands of theirs.

"Will you be there for the trial of Iwashi Yamanaka?" asked Naori seriously,

"I doubt anybody wants to see the _Kinslayer_ actually be involved in matters of justice. It'll be a cruel joke..." he answered sarcastically, making her frown harshly back at him.

"That's not true. And you will be there for me..." commanded Naori with a smirk, which elicited a hearty laugh from him.

"The things I do for my loved ones..." said Naruto amusedly,

"Does that include someone named Mikoto?"

Naruto paled a little when her sharp eyes looked at him knowingly. This woman...

"I haven't told anyone. Nor will I ever..." she promised,

"I don't love her..." clarified Naruto honestly, but could not understand why those treacherous words escaped from his lips.

Naori neither chastised him nor looked at him accusingly for his choice. She simply laid a hand on his covered cheek...

"Why don't you?"

Out of all the things she could have asked of him...this was probably the most strange one. Yet it also made him ponder as to why he didn't feel anything more than a curious attraction towards Mikoto.

The girl was beautiful, skilled and caring.

More than what someone like him ever deserved.

Everything was perfect yet it wasn't at the same time. A strange paradox, something which was a regular phenomenon of his twisted life which made him chuckle.

But contrary to popular beliefs, he respected women. He had kept the promise made to his Father of never indulging with whores or any woman as a matter of fact. Even with Mikoto, he had never went far beyond simple kisses.

For he knew his boundaries and knew if someone ever found out, it would not be him that suffered but her.

And he would never allow that, certainly not to someone he truly cared about.

He couldn't help but laugh at himself, for hours ago he threatened to wipe out an entire clan including innocents and yet his heart was fiercely protective regarding the fate of one girl.

"You're a wild dragon..." scolded Naori with a playful wink,

"I'll take that as a compliment" he replied cheekily, earning a bop on the head in return.

"I received word from your Father and he is very pleased with your accomplishment. He is proud of your loyalty to the clan..." praised Naori,

 _"That's all?"_

She flinched on hearing his cold voice and those accusing eyes that burned so intensely with hatred. What made it worse for her was the fact that she knew he was right for harboring such feelings.

She could clearly see the resentment lurking in Naruto's eyes for never once had Tajima written a personal letter to him, only congratulating him on his victories and reminding him of not breaking any more laws. While Madara always wrote to his brother, Tajima never had and she could see it had hurt the boy standing before her.

Naori herself was ashamed of her brother for she had hoped after all that had happened to his own son, Tajima would surely show more appreciation and care. But then again, Tajima had only ever cared about the Uchiha name above everything.

Madara never cared if his Father gave him love or attention, but Naruto was a different story.

One made more complicated by the dark history shared between Father and son. The one only Naori and Madara knew...

She was still amazed at Naruto's loyalty despite everything that had happened to him. Never once had the boy broken his vows or promises to the clan, fighting for even those who despised him...

"You're an honorable man" she said sadly, but he shook his head furiously.

" _Honor?_ I'm a **dog** , my Father's _mad dog_..." retorted Naruto fiercely, as his sharingan came alive.

"Naruto..."

All his anger, pain and hatred came alive in his dark red eyes as he glared at her furiously.

"The only reason I allow all these morons to mock me, judge me, hate me is because of one simple fact. All I have done till now and in the future is not for Father or our clan. It's for _my brothers._.." yelled Naruto,

He was shaking right before her very eyes, all the pain and frustration he endured everyday clearly visible in those immensely furious eyes.

She had no words that could comfort him or make his pain go away so she hugged him and felt him relax a little.

"I'll fight for Madara as long as I can enduring everything I can until my end comes..." he promised,

Before she could console him, he broke the hug and swiftly disappeared with a quick shunshin.

* * *

Shisui had been taking a stroll through the forests around the Yamanaka territory in the hopes of understanding the terrain better in case of a future attack by the Senjus.

However his mission was interrupted when he heard a distinct sound.

As he walked towards the river shore, he came across a bizarre sight.

He watched a dozen armed warriors fighting against one man with everything they had, be it jutsu or weapons. The strange fact was they all looked like the enemy they were fighting against.

Shisui watched Naruto attack and defend against his army of shadow clones and water clones alike. The sheer amount of clones that were being used was a testament to the Kinslayer's gigantic chakra reserves.

But Shisui didn't fail to notice one keen difference.

He had fought beside these boy for years and knew he fought with finesse rather than brute force unless the situation demanded. But right now the same warrior was thrashing his clones mercilessly as if he was taking out all his anger on the poor replicas whose only option to survive was fighting him together and even then they still died brutally.

Shisui winced when Naruto exploded a massive burst of lightning from his body that electrocuted majority of his clones as they were all fighting quite close to the river.

He watched the Kinslayer coat his body in an armor of dark blue colored lightning.

And he thanked the gods for making the Yamanaka surrender as before his eyes this boy massacred the remaining clone forces in five seconds.

 _"Even now I can cut through the five of you"_

Shisui remembered Naruto's words to the Kinsguard and watching him fight like this was a testament of that claim.

There was a reason as to why no Uchiha had dared to raise a finger at Naruto despite their hatred for him, apart from the fact that he was the clan head's son and Madara Uchiha's little brother...

Naruto was a deadly fighter.

One whom Shisui immensely respected.

"You look angry..." he commented, making the panting boy glance at him.

"I am always angry, Shisui" admitted Naruto with a fake grin, one which Shisui chose to ignore as he approached his friend.

"Wanna fight?" challenged Naruto eagerly,

Shisui glanced at his friend and saw he was barely done with venting out his anger. Wordlessly, he took out his own sword earning a nod from his friend who raised his own blade.

They both disappeared and met each other in the middle of the river as their blades clashed against each other violently. Shisui firmed his stance when he felt Naruto push him back with brutal force.

If it was an all out battle then his decision to fight on a water body would have been suicidal against his current opponent, but today Naruto wanted to test himself with his sword so Shisui allowed himself to be pushed back before suddenly losing his grip on his sword.

Naruto's eyes slightly widened for Shisui's sudden surrender had indirectly made his own sword about to pierce the boy's neck. He instantly defensively reacted to prevent any harm to befall his friend...

And then he saw Shisui grin.

In the blink of an eye, Shisui had made himself grab his falling sword and even as Naruto moved to counter the sudden move he already felt the other boy's weapon pointed right at his heart.

"Yield"

Naruto growled but was stopped when Shisui drew blood by poking his blade gently across Naruto's heart.

"Control your emotions"

Naruto's grip on his weapon had gone deathly tight as he glared at his friend who stared back at him unflinchingly. With a furious growl, he stepped back and lowered his sword making Shisui do the same.

"No matter what happens never lose your cool, Naruto. You're better than all of us at fighting but it won't matter if you lose your temper. It may give you power but in the end you will be defeated" warned Shisui,

Despite the scolding, Shisui was pleased to see his friend nod if a bit reluctantly.

"What's the matter? I haven't seen you this riled up in a while..." prompted Shisui carefully,

He waited as Naruto took a few deep breaths to clear his haywire emotions before pensively staring at the calm river flowing beneath them.

"Yesterday, I threatened to _murder_ an entire clan and even kill an unborn child before its parents, and my father says he is _proud_ of my actions" lamented Naruto, the guilt visible on his ashamed face.

Shisui wished the people who called this boy a traitor and scum could see him right now for they would then realize their mistake of judging this boy.

"We did what we had to win" said Shisui honestly, but Naruto shook his head.

"What if they had not surrendered? Does that mean I have to kill every last one of them? For the actions of just one man?" asked Naruto disappointedly,

"That is the way of this world, my friend" confessed Shisui,

 **"THEN IT'S FUCKED UP!"**

Shisui didn't blame his friend for shouting like that for if the Yamanaka had not surrendered, then Naruto would have been forced to butcher the entire clan to the last unborn child. Even in the case of the Fuma clan whom his friend killed in combat a few years ago, he was forced to do so for the Fuma didn't surrender.

If they had then Shisui had a feeling Naruto atleast wouldn't have killed all of them.

For he was neither ruthless like Tajima or indifferent like Madara.

Naruto felt things differently and in much depth than his family. That fact had always been clear to Shisui...

"Then why don't you do something about it?"

The brown haired boy blinked at his friend's words, didn't he know the situation Naruto was in? Regardless of that fact, Shisui gave him a blank stare.

"What?" asked Naruto dumbly,

"If you feel there is something wrong, _correct it_. You are luckier than most in that aspect..." said Shisui patiently, without blinking for even a second as Naruto glared at him harshly.

"Don't you know who I am?" questioned Naruto bitterly, but flinched when Shisui gave him a harsh stare.

"You are the son of Tajima Uchiha, heir to the greatest clan in the world, the finest swordsman in the elemental nations and the wielder of the legendary Sharingan. In my eyes, you are one of the most powerful people in the world" admitted Shisui,

Before Naruto could protest, the other boy raised his hand firmly silencing any protests. Alas, it didn't stop his friend...

"If I was strong, my brothers wouldn't be dead. If I was powerful then I wouldn't have..." whispered Naruto solemnly,

He stopped when a firm hand was placed on his shoulders and he saw Shisui's smiling face staring back at him.

''I know"

Shisui was not surprised when Naruto paled as in those words lied the biggest secret of his life. The one which had nearly destroyed his life but also made him the warrior he was today.

"How?" stammered Naruto in disbelief,

"I saw it happen from the shadows. Kagami and Itachi too, we chose to serve under your command knowing exactly the kind of person you are. A true ninja is not the most powerful or most strong but the one who protects from the shadows. The one who bears the burden while living in darkness so that others may see the light. And for that you don't need jutsu or strength, but a pure and dedicated heart. You have that _heart_ and I want you to use it to achieve all you want" suggested Shisui honestly, making Naruto look away.

"I just want this senseless fighting to end. I may never have a family of my own but my brother will someday. And I don't want them to witness and do the things we have done" confessed Naruto, earning a nod from his compassionate friend.

"There can never be two swords for one scabbard, Naruto. The Uchiha and Senju are those swords, until we are at war there will never be peace in the Land of Fire. Unless we achieve peace between ourselves first, no other clan or Damiyo will even think of it because they all fear us and also desire what benefits we bestow upon them through our endless conflict. You have seen this fact with the Yamanaka and Hatake Clans...'' explained Shisui frankly,

Naruto pondered over those words and the deep implications behind them. It was one thing to protect your clan but to senselessly kill people over and over for your entire life was not something he wanted to do.

And just like Shisui said, the Uchiha and Senju were simply two extremely powerful families. The remaining clans respected and feared these factions, but at the same time neither great clan had the power to hold the entire Land of Fire for a longtime.

As long as the Uchiha had Madara, and the Senju had Hashirama neither family would lose.

"What do you want with your life, Shisui?" asked Naruto curiously, which earned a hearty laugh from the other Uchiha as he tapped his own sword.

"I just want to do the right thing" confessed Shisui,

"And what is that?" asked Naruto, earning a knowing glance from the boy.

"I have already done it"

With those cryptic words, Shisui walked away leaving behind a confused but much more calmer Naruto behind who finally smiled faintly.

* * *

Naruto had remained stoic throughout the trial of Iwashi Yamanaka. He had stood guard beside his aunt and watched as she and Lord Sakumo Hatake questioned the culprit who was the reason behind all this violence and loss of life.

He was actually quite surprised, when the young man quickly confessed his guilt and tried to shield himself claiming it was an impulsive action on his part that should not have happened. He actually had the gall to ask for _mercy..._

Even Lord Itama Yamanaka, the current clan head offered quite a lot of bounty and fertile lands in return for sparing his nephew's life.

Naturally, Uchiha Naori was in favor of that option for that would ensure a respectable peace between the two clans.

All eyes shifted towards Sakumo Hatake who somberly glanced at the wooden table underneath him. Naruto himself couldn't help but stare at this man and wonder what choice would he make.

Then surprisingly, Sakumo actually looked at him and in his eyes there was present the unasked question.

Naruto glanced at Iwashi Yamanaka and despite the terrified expression, he saw the almost victorious look hiding in the boy's cunning eyes. He knew he had made a powerful offer for his life, even a strategic masterstroke that compelled Sakumo to choose peace over future conflict.

But 43 lives had been lost because of this man's stupid and selfish act. So many men and women who would never see their family or friends...

Sakumo stared at the Kinslayer's harsh eyes that gave one single suggestion.

 _Justice._

"Iwashi Yamanaka..."

All the Uchiha's, Hatake's and Yamanaka's inside the court room listened closely as Lord Sakumo got up from his chair and looked at the young man who was on the verge of smiling in relief and victory.

"For your crimes that sparked a bloody conflict between our clans and the loss of so many lives on both sides, _I sentence you to death"_

Shocked gasps and even a few outrageous protests erupted across the room, even Naori looked aghast at the extreme decision taken by the Hatake leader despite all the compensation he had been offered. Then she watched her nephew move and knew what was about to happen.

Iwashi screamed obscenities and protests at the top of his voice, but not one of his clan or any other faction rose in his support. When the members of the Kinsguard grabbed him roughly and made him kneel, he started to tremble.

His eyes widened in fear when he saw the Kinslayer step before him with a cold look in his eyes.

"Any last words?" asked Naruto icily,

 **"Fuck you, KINSLAYER!"**

Naruto gave a cold smirk to the blonde Yamanaka...

"You're not my type..."

With a single stroke of the sword the golden head of the Yamanaka heir was severed from his body rendering a stunned silence across the courtroom.

Naruto wiped the blood from his sword as his friends dragged the headless body away from, even taking with them the severed head. When that was done, he glanced towards the two clan heads.

Sakumo's face showed resignation and weariness while Itama Yamanaka looked crestfallen but his eyes lacked any hatred knowing his nephew had deserved the fate bestowed on him. The fact that an Uchiha killed him removed any possibility of retribution from any hot-head Yamanaka's for none dared to challenge the Dragon.

"It's done" declared Naruto coldly, daring anyone to challenge otherwise.

None did.

Before any clan heads or Naori could say something, the door of the courtroom was opened once again as a terrified messenger stormed inside and he said just one word that passed on his fear to most others present in the room.

 _"Senjus"_

Not a second later, alarm bells rang across the entire town marking the arrival of the feared enemy.

But as chaos and confusion threatened to erupt across the three clans one massive presence spread across the entire room. The killing intent so deep that it threatened to make many piss themselves.

Everyone looked at the source of this power and saw the Kinslayer stare at them with a confident grin.

 **"Come with me and burn some _tree huggers!_ "** roared Naruto, unleashing his ancestral sword.

As one the Uchiha's rose, their clan's famous madness and bloodlust lurking in their eyes as they all cheered that decision. Following them were the Hatake's who also roared in approval when their leader gave the nod, finally Itama Yamanaka gave a resigned nod leading to the Yamanaka ninjas also standing abruptly and nodding their consent without any enthusiasm.

Casting one last glance towards his aunt who gave him a firm nod as well,

 _Naruto Uchiha marched to battle!_


	9. The Cursed Man

**Thank you for the reviews and support.**

 **Chapter 9**

 **The Cursed Man**

* * *

Armed warriors ran across the town with determination and anxiety burning in their eyes. Chaos was spreading across every nook and corner as the war drums and alarm bells continued to ring louder and louder with every passing second.

Terrified screams cut through the lands as the frightened civilians were being directed towards the shelters inside the strong castle.

A large army of fighters gathered behind him ready to fight and die on a single command.

He couldn't say if his people felt the same as him but in the eyes of many he saw the same look as the one he had in his own eyes.

 _Madness._

The hunger for battle, the desire to fight, the resolve to emerge victorious with victory or death. The sweet sound of steel clashing against steel, of the dying screams of men and women, of the blood and guts that flew all around them, of the fear in the eyes of their enemies when they delivered the final blow.

Naruto glanced at his ancestral sword, **Dawn** , with its finely crafted blade and the hilt that bore the sigil of a dragon.

 _Fire and Blood._

There was power in those ancient words.

An immeasurable force that made his kind brim with pride and confidence. Many called it arrogance and he had never denied it being such for it was what it was, because their kind was worthy of that fear and respect.

It was that same fear that made the Hatake's and Yamanakas join his forces waiting for his command.

He could feel his blood pumping, his heart threatening to burst out with joy, the intoxication threatening to flood away his senses as he experienced the feeling of the sweetest thing in the world about to touch his lips.

 _Battle._

Nothing was more terrifying and nothing more glorious.

He was never one to seek it openly but there was one family with whom he actively sought it.

 _Senju._

He could still see his brothers dying before his eyes. Of the sharp kunai hitting Inabi in the neck as he choked on his own blood, of Yashiro wildly fighting in grief before blowing himself up taking down more Senjus with him.

Of that sword piercing Izuna's chest and the feeling of watching his beloved brother die in his arms.

He trembled with hate and revenge burning deep inside of him. He must be looking quite terrifying with his sharingan for not a single one of his men dared to taunt him or ask any question. They dared not speak for his killing intent threatened to slaughter them should they step out of line.

His Kinsguard stood around him, proud and silent.

He could feel the darkest parts of his soul morphing into reality, having only inexperienced such feelings the day he killed his own kin earning the name, _Kinslayer_.

Even Kurama maintained his distance and was not going to participate in the battle knowing how personal this was to Naruto. The boy knew the fox was capable of ending this fight single handedly, but that would not sit well with his friend who had yearned for this chance for a very longtime. Also, if the beast fought against the Senjus it would only bring more attention to it which was not what Naruto wanted at this time.

In that moment, Kurama saw every ounce of Indra coming alive in the boy as he glared at the massive defender force of more than a thousand men.

"Any of you tries to flee, cowers, or dies without killing three Senjus..." warned Naruto, flaring his killing intent fully making dozens of his troops fall to their knees.

The madness showed in his eyes as he made his promise.

 **"I'll burn them and their families alive"**

He smiled viciously when he saw them all nod fearfully and turned around swiftly with his Kinsguard falling in line. Together the six of them all dressed in battle armor with dark cloaks fluttering from their backs marched forward with the allied army at their back.

Their shining swords yearning for the taste of Senju blood.

* * *

The members of the Kinsguard watched their leader keenly observing as their large army took up positions with many hiding themselves away from the eyes of the approaching enemy.

"Are the traps in place?" asked Naruto coldly, without any emotion in his voice except for hate.

"It's done, Lord Commander" replied Itachi affirmatively,

"Each of you take up command of different units across our flanks. I'll hold the center..." commanded Naruto stoically,

"Naruto, a massive force of Senjus, Sarutobi's, Inuzuka's and Akimichi's are approaching towards us. Our sensors and barrier teams place their numbers _twice_ than our own" warned Kagami, and shivered when he saw the merciless smile on his friend's face.

"More bastards to kill..."

Each of the Kinsguard looked at each other quite uncertain over their leader and friend's dangerous behavior. They had known Naruto to be a calm and capable battle commander who usually preferred tactics over brute force. But today he was doing the opposite...

To be more accurate, his hatred for the Senjus was overwhelming every other feeling in his heart.

"Is Tobirama Senju leading them?"

Shisui flinched when he felt the bloodlust in his friend's voice, they had heard of Madara's obsessive rivalry with Hashirama Senju and in that regard Naruto was not much different from his elder brother, for he had an unhealthy hatred for Tobirama Senju.

 _"Answer me!"_

They all flinched except for Itachi at his brutal commanding voice and it was only when Shisui nodded in confirmation did the monstrous killing intent lift away from them.

"Any last orders?" questioned Takeshi obediently, which was a stark contrast to his rebellious nature. But even a hot-head like him could see that Naruto was not going to tolerate any mistakes or even japes this time.

Naruto stared at his friends and saw the fear in their eyes. Not only their enemy outnumbered them and comprised of powerful warriors, but they were more worried with his hatred. But he could not stop...

For years, he had dreamed of this moment when he finally avenged his brother. And now that it was here...

He could not bring himself to care about anything else. Not the clan, not the fate of their new alliance with the Hatake or Yamanaka clans, or even his friends.

All he could see, all he could feel was...

 **Hate**

He saw them still staring at him expectantly, waiting for his last order before they marched into battle.

Memories from his worst nightmare came haunting back. Before his eyes he saw an unholy fire burning across sacred temple grounds, the sound of men, women and children begging and screaming in pain. The foul air that had lurked in the skies that night, the memory of a young boy standing in the midst of a horrible dream.

Those words heard that night that plagued him every day after, ones he mumbled a thousand times in sleepless nights.

 _"Kill them all..."_

He saw them all freeze but as a testament to their courage they all then nodded before all of them except for one disappeared away to carry out their orders.

But her eyes stayed on him taking in the haunting look in his eyes as he relived the two worst nightmares of his life. Days he would never forget in his entire life...

He didn't stop her when she came forward and laid a passionate kiss on his lips, one which he hesitantly returned. It was short and when she parted from him, there was a silent pleading in her eyes.

No words were spoken but he could hear her desire nonetheless in those eyes of hers.

 _Stay alive._

He didn't reply or gave any sign that he heard her or even accepted her request. Mikoto nodded with a sigh before kissing his lips one last time before vanishing away to carry out her duty.

When he turned back to face the battlefield, all emotions and feelings disappeared from his eyes.

He had no remorse or hesitation in his heart for what he was about to do.

For he was no hero.

He was a selfish person who only wanted to fulfill the desires of his own heart.

He was the Kinslayer.

 _He was the Cursed Man._

* * *

Tobirama Senju lay crouched on the ground with one finger pressed against the soft grass. His closed eyes displaying his level of concentration as his allies lay anxious around him.

When he opened his eyes, he saw the worried gaze of his little brother Itama staring back at him.

"Their flanks are too strong. But the center formation looks breakable..." suggested the white haired Senju,

"Then let me attack them and tear their asses to pieces" spoke Akio Inuzuka with a savage grin, but was surprised when Tobirama shook his head.

"You'll take the left flank and Sasuke Sarutobi shall take the right. I, Itama, alongwith the Senjus and few Akimichi will attack the center formation. Any sides that breaks through is ordered to head straight for the town and reach the Yamanaka Clan head, if possible even the Hatake clan head captive as well. Hashirama wants them alive and unharmed, do you understood?" asked Tobirama icily, boring his cold eyes into the Inuzuka heir who glared at him.

"They are _traitors!_ "

A sharp burst of killing intent made the dog warrior and his battle partner flinch as Tobirama's glare rained down on them in full force.

"Do you want to _test_ Hashirama's patience?"

He watched in satisfaction as nearly everyone cowered for they were all aware of Hashirama's power. The Senju clan head was a kind and honorable man, but was swift in dealing with any who disobeyed him.

"Understood" they all chorused, some with great reluctance earning a stiff nod from Tobirama.

When their faction started to divide themselves, he saw Itama's pleading eyes and even when his little brother didn't say anything Tobirama understood his request.

"You will lead the attack with me and take command of our troops on the battlefield" commanded Tobirama,

"But-"

A firm hand was placed on his shoulder and Itama Senju saw the grave look in his brother's eyes.

"I am trusting you, Itama. Lead the attack while I deal with someone who is waiting for me..." explained Tobirama honestly,

"Who?" asked Itama hesitantly,

 **"The Kinslayer..."**

Itama froze.

He looked into his brother's unflinching eyes and saw no sign of fear and hesitation. Tobirama was the most skilled warrior of their clan after Hashirama, even stronger than Itama and Tsunade.

But the Kinslayer was a monster in his own right. One who butchered an entire clan in single combat, wielder of the Sharingan and the finest swordsman in the Land of Fire; even across the elemental nations for according to many who had seen his prowess.

He was not someone to be taken lightly, and now his brother was going to face that man.

"Let me help you..." pleaded Itama, receiving a swift glare from his elder brother.

"This is between me and him, gods know he hates me for killing his brother. Anyone who tries to stop him by getting in his way to reach me will meet a brutal death. It is why I will confront him before he wrecks havoc on our allies. It is your responsibility to break through his lines...and in case I fall..."

"Brother!"

" _Listen!_ " scolded Tobirama harshly, but softened when he saw Itama on the verge of tears. Gods, the boy was even more soft of heart than Hashirama. It made Tobirama wonder if entrusting his brother was a burden too heavy for him, but despite his insecurities and shy nature Itama was a good fighter. Their people loved him and he was well respected.

And there was no one Tobirama trusted more than his brother right now.

"If I fall, _run_. Don't try to save me for you'll only get killed and I cannot bear watching you die. Don't throw your life away in vain..." said Tobirama gently,

He could still remember the day when he killed Izuna Uchiha on the battlefield. The grief he had seen in the Kinslayer's eyes that day promised Tobirama that he would never have peace until either he or the Kinslayer were dead. In a way, he could understand that Uchiha's feelings for if anyone hurt or worse killed any of his brothers and sister...

Tobirama shivered as he realized the extent of rage and hatred that would seep through him if that happened.

And the Kinslayer had already lost three brothers against the Senjus.

 _The stronger their love, the stronger their hate, and the worse their madness._

He could still remember his Father's words about the Uchiha and the grave warning in them. It was why Tobirama knew it was he who had to face the Kinslayer, and no one else.

Itama reluctantly nodded and was surprised when Tobirama hugged him fiercely. Words couldn't describe how proud he was of his little brother, for in this world of madness and hatred this boy was still pure and kind. Something which Tobirama dearly wished to preserve...

They soon parted as Itama gave the command making the Senju and Akimichi warriors march forward. Tobirama quickly caught Touka Senju before she joined the others.

The dark haired girl curiously stared at him with a raised eyebrow but saw the Senju's gaze lingering on the form of his brother.

"Look after him"

She didn't miss the worry for his brother in his voice and firmly nodded earning a brief smile from him. But before he could walk away, she grabbed his hand and made him look back at her.

"Does it have to be you?" she asked sadly,

A resigned smile came on his face as he kissed her forehead...

"It can only be me"

* * *

(Left Flank)

Itachi and Kagami saw the swarm of crows and vultures that had started to linger in the sky. An omen of the carnage that was about to happen...

They exhaled deep breaths as the rustling of leaves and grass started to become more louder marking the arrival of their enemies. The sound of dogs barking reached their eyes making them both exchange a knowing nod.

Glancing around they saw their 400 strong force made up of Hatake, Uchiha and few Yamanaka preparing themselves as both Kinsguard members gave the signal.

Itachi had no doubt in his mind that if any of their flanks was crushed, then they were done for, because the Senjus and their allies outnumbered their side quite heavily.

Kagami suspiciously glanced at the Hatake and Yamanaka warriors, they might be allies now but he could not shake off the feeling of mistrust he had towards them for one of those clans was a former Senju ally and the other was about to become one before they were forced to bend the knee to the Uchihas.

"If these bastards turn on us..." warned Kagami, drawing a flat look from Itachi.

"We hold the line" asserted Itachi, which made Kagami chew his lip nervously.

"We might have to retreat..." advised Kagami, and was surprised when Itachi shook his head.

"The Kinsguard doesn't flee from the battlefield..."

Those words brought some of the confidence back in Kagami's heart as he remembered the power of his sworn brothers and sister. They were each worth a dozen warriors currently standing behind them and even if the situation demanded they wouldn't flee or retreat.

Because Naruto wouldn't, neither would any of their other brothers and sister.

Steeling himself, Kagami nodded while placing a firm hand on Itachi's shoulders making the silent boy glance at him and Kagami hoped to convey his conviction with his last words before the battle.

"Here we shall stand" promised Kagami, earning a small smile from Itachi.

The two Kinsguard dressed in finely crafted bronze armor bearing the dragon sigil on their chests and the Uchiha crests on their backs stepped ahead of their army, their long black cloaks gracefully fluttering behind their backs.

Itachi was the first to catch sight of the Inuzuka dogs charging through the frontlines and quickly performed a set of hand seals.

 **"Sealing Arts: Seven Star Barrier!"**

Across the dense forests, seven seals engraved deep in the hearts of trees came alive and within seconds the charging dog army came to a sudden halt. Their Inuzuka partners growled furiously as some of them were also caught in the trap.

Itachi charged forward without warning and jumped high in the air, his hands grabbing a bunch of kunai from his pouch.

Twisting himself gracefully in the air, he let loose the entire volley which instantly multiplied into a large barrage tearing down the trapped enemy forces brutally.

The entire enemy first line was decimated which was the signal Kagami was waiting for as he saw the next wave charging towards them and Itachi's seals disappeared.

He gave a mighty roar as his entire body was engulfed in bright blue flames of chakra...

 **"Kaimon : Gate of Opening!** "

Itachi smirked when Kagami disappeared in a flash and appeared right before the first Inuzuka who gasped when a solid punch connected with his head splattering it to shreds. Two furious dogs leapt towards Kagami but he flipped in the air bringing down his hard feet crashing against their heads ending their miserable lives.

The Inuzuka who were known and feared for their Taijutsu prowess were stunned when Kagami started tearing them apart with his fast moves and deadly attacks.

Seeing his friend had destroyed any co-ordination in the enemy attack, Itachi turned towards their surprised allies who had just watched these two Kinsguard decimate nearly two dozen ninjas in the first few minutes itself all on their own, and they looked ready for more.

 **"With me!"** commanded Itachi, raising his sword,

The Hatake swordsman gave out their own war cries followed by the stunned Yamanakas who also joined the charged following Itachi's lead.

Soon enough the two factions clashed against each other starting a brutal massacre.

* * *

(Right Flank)

Shisui tensely watched as his forces comprised of nearly 500 fighters stepped into battle formation. By his sides were Mikoto and Takeshi with their swords ready. Tension was ever present in the air which turned even worse when the war cries of hundreds of Sarutobi, Akimichi, and few Senjus reached them.

He narrowed his eyes when many Akmichi transformed into rolling balls of massive size and moved towards his lines at terrifying speeds.

But he had been expecting that from the moment he saw who was leading this attack.

"They want to break our lines with brute force..." suggested Takeshi, and saw Shisui nod in acceptance.

"Take command of our units and wait for my signal" said Shisui, earning a nod from the younger boy as he quickly joined the Yamanaka units without any protest.

"You think we can hold them?" asked Mikoto hesitantly,

"We will"

She smiled at Shisui's confidence and had no reason to doubt his resolve for he was not only a deadly fighter but someone with whom she wouldn't mind fighting side by side to the death.

When the Akimichi's started to get dangerous close making the ground tremble with their mass, Shisui raised a single hand seal and soon enough those charging monsters were assaulted by hundreds of crows swooping down from the skies.

Shisui's eyes were closed but Mikoto saw the Akimichi's had stopped abruptly. Instead of charging ahead, the giant monsters actually turned back and reverse charged towards their own forces that screamed in terror.

 _"Now!"_

Mikoto nodded instantly when the command escaped from Shisui's lips making her give the signal to her brother. Several Uchiha fighters and few Hatake warriors joined her as she lead the charge, with her twin brother Takeshi doing the same with the Yamanaka fighters.

Together they formed two offensive flanks and charged into the broken enemy lines that were still being ravaged by out of control Akimichi fighters.

 **"Uchihas!"** she shouted, making her brother and their clansmen create a fine first line.

Together they all performed a set of hand seals very familiar to them at great speed, few Sarutobi and Senjus actually recognized their move despite the chaos and hastily charged ahead to counter but had to start dodging when the few Hatake's that had taken position in the trees started raining down exploding kunai's on them creating further mayhem across the battlefield.

 **"Fire Style: Great Fire Annihilation!"**

Such a dangerous and powerful jutsu was not possible to perform for any Uchiha alone except for ones like Madara. But together they were all able to create this move and soon enough the flames that were launched from the mouths of her clansmen engulfed a large portion of the forest.

Men and women screamed as they were caught helpless in the blazing inferno. Like headless chickens they ran with some trying to find sources of water, some even tried to create water jutsu but were cut down by the Hatake marksmen that continued to shower a rain of death from their positions in the tall trees.

When the destruction ended there were dozens of charred bodies that were barely recognizable, on the verge of turning to ashes and disappearing forever.

Takeshi grinned savagely when he saw Shisui flying in the air on top of a giant crow with his hands still performing the seal controlling the out of control Akimichi. But soon enough the genjutsu master released the jutsu much to the relief of the enemy forces.

But it didn't last as the dangerous Uchiha clasped his hands together whispering...

 **"Genjutsu: Field of Darkness!"**

When their enemies cried that they were not able to see anything as a sudden darkness stole every ounce of light from their surroundings, then Takeshi cheered leading the charge of his clansmen.

He slashed his first enemy across the throat ending the miserable boy's life and saw his clansmen begin the butchering of the disarrayed enemy forces. However, a few enemies had broken out of the genjutsu and Takeshi grinned for atleast there were some capable fighters in the enemies.

With a savage battlecry, he and his twin sister attacked them.

* * *

(Center Formation)

Naruto could feel the enemy approaching and there were a lot of them. More than the forces under his command but that was to be expected since he had decided to strengthen his flanks while taking the risk of annihilation on himself.

With him were majority of the Uchiha force, fewer Hatakes and most Yamanakas. Together they made up a strong army of nearly 300 fighters.

The odds were heavily against them but there was no other choice but to fight, or risk everything they had gained so far.

He grasped his ancestral sword firmly in his grasp as the first enemy forces entered his line of vision. Activating his sharingan, he charged forward and smirked when he stabbed the blade clean through a surprised Senju's heart.

The battlefield came alive as his supporters and the enemies now clashed in open combat. Weapons, jutsu, and body parts went flying alongwith the blood curling screams of the dead and dying.

 **"Lightning Release: Thunder Armor"**

His entire body was coated in bright sparks of lightning that savagely electrocuted the Senjus very close to him. His own ancestral sword now coated in the element. It was why he loved the weapon for not only was it made up of the finest steel but had engraved in it secret seals that allowed it to manifest the type of chakra its wielder used.

With a grin, he attacked any who dared to challenge him.

His sword now laced with lightning carved through his enemies armor like a knife cutting through butter and he didn't flinch when they died one after another screaming in agony.

He saw one unit of his clansmen being viciously attacked by dozens of Senju, quickly he formed a hand seal producing two of his shadow clones who wordlessly ran to the aid of their clansmen and soon enough the Uchihas were fighting back.

Parrying another attack, he delivered a swift and brutal kick to his enemy's genitals. The woman gasped in pain but her eyes widened when his sword sliced through her open neck showering him in blood and gore. Mercilessly, he twisted his sword causing a large surge of lightning to seep into her body.

The Senjus gasped in horror when their dying kunoichi's head exploded earning a savage laugh from the Kinslayer.

They all flinched away from him until a one eyed Senju dressed in fine armor charged ahead clashing his sword against Naruto's.

 _He's stronger than the others._

Naruto didn't know why but he had a feeling he had seen this Senju before. Despite his innocent looks, the boy was fighting back with great strength and courage.

Roaring once more he tried a horizontal slash towards Naruto's chest but the Kinslayer easily side-stepped from the attack placing his passing hand on the Senju's back.

Itama Senju screamed when vicious bolts of lighting attacked his entire body. His nerves screamed, his blood boiled, his lone eye threatened to burst open and in his hazy vision he saw the Kinslayer bringing his longsword towards his back.

Now he knew why Tobirama had warned him not to engage this man, but he had forgotten his elder brother's advice when he saw his clansmen being cut down by this monster. He had to do something to help them...

But now he was going to die painfully which made him close his eyes.

 **"KINSLAYER!"**

Naruto froze mid attack and had to urgently bring his sword forward just in time as Tobirama Senju's sword clashed against his own. There was a monstrous outburst of chakra from the white haired Senju's body that sent Naruto sailing away.

Quickly regaining his balance, he flipped himself and landed gracefully across the battlefield and saw the man he hated most standing before him.

"Little brother..." whispered Tobirama, cradling the badly burnt Itama in his arms.

The sight brought a new wave of sadness as anger in Naruto's heart as he remembered the words said to him by the person he had loved most in this world.

 _Be happy...little brother._

 _Izuna_

 **"TOBIRAMA!"**

The Senju looked up and his eyes widened when a monstrous outburst of chakra exploded from Naruto's body sending dozens of Senjus and Sarutobi's sailing away. The killing intent that spread across the forest was enough to make Tobirama flinch for he saw the unending hatred in Naruto's eyes that threatened to destroy everything Tobirama held dear.

He quickly handed off his injured brother to Touka who dragged the boy away to safety as Tobirama got up on his feet meeting the Kinslayer's burning red eyes.

He had seen those same eyes in Madara and knew the power it gave to its wielder.

He raised his sword in preparation as Naruto marched towards him, fury and hatred burning in his Sharingan eyes.

 _Only to freeze suddenly._

A shocked and even more furious expression came on his face as he glanced at the Yamanaka who had attacked his mind. His eyes widened when the blonde haired turncoats started attacking the shocked Uchihas and Hatakes.

The tides changed within seconds as the traitor Yamanakas joined up with the Senju forces beginning the slaughter of the heavily outnumbered Uchiha and Hatake forces.

He glanced at Tobirama who gave him a blank look...

And he knew.

In all the chaos of this surprise attack, everyone including him had failed to detect one minor detail. It had barely been two days since the Yamanaka officially surrendered to the Uchiha. Even if the Senju wanted to retaliate, it would have taken them time to assemble such a large force.

Unless...

Tobirama smiled at him coldly.

"You guessed right, Kinslayer. The Yamanakas asked for our aide the moment you attacked them..." confessed Tobirama,

"You-" struggled Naruto, almost on the verge of breaking free from the invading presence in his mind.

"They surrendered to you because they knew fighting would only mean annihilation. So they waited for their allies to arrive and now they shall have their revenge. You come into their home, butcher their people, kill their clan heir, and expect them to surrender to your _mad clan_? I see the Hatakes are still fighting for you despite the changed situation, tell me what leverage do you have over them?" asked Tobirama knowingly,

Naruto dared not reveal any information regarding the fact that Naori held Kiara Hatake as hostage which was the main reason the Hatake's were still fighting for them.

Thinking of his aunt holed up in that Castle among the Yamanaka traitors made his heart stop.

 _He had to save her._

Glancing around he saw majority of his supporters were cut down by the overwhelming enemy force, the few who were left wouldn't last long. He was trapped...

With a wild roar, he broke the mind invasion of his attacker and swiftly sent a kunai that lodged itself right into the Yamanaka's head ending the man's life.

Hastily, he grabbed a flare from his pocket and launched it in the air just as Tobirama attacked him.

He smiled even as he clashed swords against Tobirama as the bright red flare had now given the message to his few allies to act on their contingency plan.

As for him...

He saw hundreds of Senjus, Sarutobi's, Yamanaks closing down on the small circle of Uchiha's and Hatake's that had stepped closer to him hoping he could save them from their approaching deaths.

He glanced at his arch enemy and knew he had met his match for Tobirama was just as cruel and cunning as him.

His next words proved Naruto's belief...

 **"You're done, _Kinslayer_ "**


	10. Cadmean Victory

**Thank you for the support. Hope you continue it.**

 **Chapter 10**

 **Cadmean Victory**

* * *

He saw enemies all around him, waiting for the perfect moment to strike him down. Their eyes full of anger, hatred and utter loathing. Their swords and sickles eager to taste his blood and their pitiful killing intent making a mocking effort to make him cower.

Glancing at the few allies he had left, he saw they were preparing themselves to die.

The responsibility of this failure lied on his shoulders for he should have known the Yamanaka could do something like this. If it had been Madara in his place, his brother would have butchered their top leadership making the remaining younger ones bend the knee.

But Naruto had done the opposite. He had went with his heart sparing all Yamanaka except for those who perished in battle, he had not even slaughtered any Yamanaka civilians and allowed them to go back to their peaceful lives. He had allowed his enemies to surrender instead of killing them all.

It was the good thing to do, the honorable thing.

But there was no place for such things in this world. He could already imagine his father's disappointed eyes looking down on him, the old man would have taught the Yamanaka a much harsher and bloodier lesson than his foolish young son.

And now his own clansmen had to die, their only fault being the fact that their leader was soft of heart.

His friends, his aunt, his clansmen, and even their Hatake allies were all in danger of annihilation because of him. It was burden that weighed his ever solemn heart. Even Kurama...

He watched his enemies that only continued to outnumber his forces, whatever his mistakes he was still the leader of his army and it was his duty to get them to safety.

No matter the cost.

"Tekka"

The said older Uchiha warily glanced at him but was surprised when Naruto pointed him in the opposite direction leading towards the Yamanaka town.

"Get our people and the Hatake's out of here. I'll hold the line" instructed Naruto,

"Tajima-sama and Madara-sama will have our heads if we leave you behind" pointed Tekka hesitantly, aware about the wrath they would incur should those two learn what happened to the Kinslayer.

 _"Are you disobeying me?"_

Tekka Uchiha flinched when Naruto's cold eyes landed on him in full force making him gulp. He glanced at his own clansmen and the Hatake who looked quite relieved with the new option provided to them.

Still, a question lingered on Tekka's mind...

"They'll kill you, you know that right?" asked Tekka seriously, glancing at the Senjus and their allies who were now starting to get closer.

For his part, the Kinslayer merely glanced at his ancestral sword before looking back at the enemies with a cocky smirk.

"I've won more single combat than any of these tree huggers. I can handle them..." promised Naruto,

Tekka could not argue against that point, whatever sins the Kinslayer had committed in his life there was not a single Uchiha who doubted his fighting prowess. Seeing Naruto was not going to change his mind, Tekka glanced at him one last time while also giving a subtle signal to his allies to get ready to flee.

"Any last words?"

Naruto would have laughed if not for the situation because he remembered asking the same thing to many of his enemies before they died. Tekka, in his own way was asking him if he had any message for his family. His Father would not be much affected, but no words would be enough to console Madara or even Naori.

But still he wanted to humor Tekka nonetheless...

"I am a ninja. I shall die as one"

Tekka's eyes slightly widened, his lips parting to say something before he abruptly stopped himself. For the first time in his eyes there was an emotion other than loathing for this young boy.

"We will avenge you" promised Tekka, earning a loud laugh from Naruto.

"You speak as if I'm dead already?" mocked Naruto, his usual sarcastic grin present on his face.

Tekka could only grimly nod in understanding.

"Now go. Make sure the fox escapes with you"

With a fleeting nod, Tekka and his companions took off to the trees with great speed. The Senjus cursed and made to follow but Naruto got in the way and slammed his hand on the forest ground.

A monstrous shockwave was unleashed across the forests, majority of the ninjas sent chakra to their feet in order to retain their footing but a few weaker ones were sent sailing away. Dust and uprooted grass disrupted everyone's vision and when the brief storm settled they saw the Kinslayer raising his ancestral blade while also picking up another sword from a fallen Uchiha.

Tobirama acutely watched the Kinslayer twist both swords in his hands with practiced ease, his dark sharingan eyes challenging anyone to defeat him. But the killing intent he was unleashing was enough to make most of the Senju forces back away.

He considered his options, while he considered himself a good fighter the Kinslayer was a dangerous foe. He could take him on but at the same time he had the man cornered. Tobirama had the numbers on his side while Naruto was all alone. Even the Senju was surprised with the Kinslayer's decision to act as a sacrifice to allow his people time to escape.

 _It is far more...honorable of him._

Could there be more to this man than his stained reputation? Tobirama had only heard tales of Naruto's combat prowess, maybe it was safer if he saw some of it first before taking him on. It was the right move...

He gestured his troops to move forward and few dozen brave ones charged towards the Kinslayer who grinned.

Naruto stood rooted in his spot, his swords still swirling in the air waiting to claim blood. As his enemies came dangerous close, Tobirama's eyes widened when he sensed it.

 **''Water Style: Water Bullets!"**

Dozens of sharp water projectiles escaped from the Kinslayer's mouth and being so close to the man, the Senju warriors had no room left to dodge and Tobirama grimaced when they were all hit in vital parts making their bodies crumble motionlessly to the ground with a sickening crunch.

Naruto walked over the corpses making every effort to further infuriate his enemies and was not surprised when the hot-headed ones took offense at the way he mocked their dead clansmen. Another dozen came charging at him with loud roars.

It was so pitiful.

Right before their very eyes, he disappeared in a flock of crows. Their worried eyes searched for him everywhere until he suddenly materialized in their midst, his swords hacking them all to death in twin fluent strikes.

His eyes narrowed as he immediately got up and brought his swords upwards to deflect the hundreds of kunai and shuriken being launched at him from all sides. He grinned and began his defense by deflecting every projectile with his twin swords.

Tobirama despite his hatred for this man could not help but be heavily impressed. All those people that talked about the Kinslayer's fighting prowess didn't lie or exaggerate. With his own eyes, Tobirama watched the Kinslayer deflect every kunai and shuriken thrown at him. Most of his accuracy was thanks to his sharingan that allowed him to predict the trajectory of those weapons, but his light feet, his hand movements, his moves which were almost like a fine crafted dance was a proof enough...

Naruto Uchiha was the finest swordsman Tobirama had ever seen.

His eyes slightly widened when one kunai came bouncing forward and lodged itself into a woman standing a few feet away from him. She choked as the blood leaked from her neck and only now did Tobirama see dozens upon dozens of dead Senjus. All of them hit by either kunai or shuriken that they had threw at the Kinslayer, and who had used his natural skill to send it back at them with thrice the force and speed.

The soldiers were bloody mad now for having so many of their clansmen and allies cut down so easily. Despite Tobirama's warning shout, those fools charged towards the Kinslayer from all sides.

Naruto quickly roared before slamming his foot brutally across the barren land making half the forest tremble.

The approaching horde of soldiers also struggled to balance their footing and were as such left defenseless when the Kinslayer twisted his twin swords in a 360 degree circular movement.

Horror crept through Tobirama as he watched dozens of head roll off cleanly from the dead men and women's shoulder. Those who had been lucky to be charging behind the first wave instantly backed away with fear evident in their eyes.

Tobirama made a quick count of the fallen and the wounded. More than 100 were already dead, with another two to three dozen sporting grievous wounds. He cursed himself again as he watched their Inuzuka and Sarutobi allies come charging in from the left and right flanks. Their appearance here could only mean the Uchihas and Hatakes from those flanks had fled the moment they saw Naruto launching that bright red flare in the sky.

And the Kinslayer had unleashed such a massive killing intent that must have forced Tobirama's allies to come charging here if only to save him and Itama.

But still that left for plenty of Yamanaka to chase after the retreating enemy forces. However, with the new addition of forces the Kinslayer despite his skill and prowess was overwhelmed. Still, he didn't even look winded despite the fact that he had been fighting for more than 20 minutes now. That playful grin still on his face...

"Is that all you've got?" asked Naruto mockingly, earning hateful glares from his enemies but none of them stepped forward to challenge him either.

"Surrender, _Kinslayer_ " spoke Tobirama, for despite his urge to kill this man he had a feeling the Senju could gain even more if they captured Naruto alive. Even if the boy's father had disowned him, Madara dearly loved him and the thought of making that arrogant bastard worry was enough to make Tobirama smirk.

"In your dreams, _pretty boy_ " retorted Naruto, and smiled when Tobirama scowled at the remark.

"Why fight for a clan who hates you? Didn't they leave you the moment the tides turned? Join us and Hashirama can see you greatly rewarded" suggested Tobirama, already willing to exploit his enemy's dark history against him.

Now it was Naruto's turn to heavy glare at the Senju who had the audacity to assume he knew everything about him.

"You think my life is some precious thing to me? As if I would trade my family for a few more years of _what?_ " asked Naruto furiously, surprising the Senju for he saw nothing but truth and loyalty in those burning sharingan eyes.

Naruto Uchiha was definitely a strange man.

" _Funny_. For I think you only serve your family when it's convenient. Where was this loyalty and honor when you used those same hands to butcher your own people? The truth is **Kinslayer.**.. _you're a man without honor_ " said Tobirama coldly,

He stepped forward ahead of his clansmen with his ancient sword unleashed and was quite satisfied when his harsh words made Naruto grimace. While the Kinslayer didn't retort back with his usual sarcastic remark or even angry words, the raw pain in his eyes was enough to make Tobirama see he had wounded the man.

For men like Naruto Uchiha could survive a thousand physical wounds, but the wounds to his character were the ones which hurt him most.

"Today, in front of my allies and the gods I shall deliver justice upon your cursed soul" promised Tobirama, unleashing a massive killing intent, yet Naruto looked at him with a mocking smile.

"If those gods are real, then why is this world so full of injustice?" asked Naruto bitterly, as he could see he was about to be killed either by Tobirama or the hundreds that had surrounded him. His death would be worth it if he managed to kill Tobirama, but the pain it would bring Madara made him ask that question.

Why was his family suffering more than the Senjus? What right did these tree huggers have to consider themselves physically and morally superior when they were just as worse as the Uchiha?

"Because of men like **_you_**..." spat Touka Senju hatefully, earning cheers and the same remarks from hundreds more.

Naruto looked at his ancestral sword and at his own hands. It was with them he had picked up a sword and killed all his clansmen that night. Despite his actions he had failed that night.

Just as he failed in saving his three brothers, just as he failed in giving something truly worthwhile to his clan.

Guilt and sadness crept across his heart as he remembered his life as nothing more than failures.

"There are no men like me... _only me_ " whispered Naruto, but his words were not heard by any of these people.

Tobirama prepared himself as he watched all sadness and guilt vanish from the Kinslayer's eyes replaced by grim determination. The look in those sharingan eyes was the one of a man about to die.

But not alone.

"I am Uchiha Naruto, son of Tajima, brother of Madara, and loyal fighter of my clan"

An armor of lightning enclosed all over the Kinslayer's body as he raised his swords, one burning with the same lightning sparks and the other burning with pure chakra.

"I shall take no wife, have no family, hold no lands, inherit no titles"

He felt the power surging through his body, the guilt and fear washed away with a renewed courage as he remembered the oath he made to his Father the day he was disowned. An oath he had lived his life by even now.

"I shall live and die for my clan and our allies"

He could see his enemies taking a few steps back as he raised a single hand seal and created 10 shadow clones of himself that all turned to face their enemies bravely.

 **"I am the sword of my people, the shield of my allies, the nightmare of my enemies. And I pledge my life to kill every last one of you!"**

Tobirama's eyes widened when the clones charged towards the Senjus and their allies creating a bloody carnage as the battle began. He himself had to brace as the real Naruto appeared before him delivering a bone crushing punch to his face.

As Tobirama was sent sailing away, Naruto willed a mass of crows to descend over the Senjus. As the black birds disrupted the enemies, he used the chance to charge forward plunging his sword through their hearts, heads and necks.

Touka Senju roared furiously and uncaring of the crows harassing her, she charged forward clashing her sword fiercely against the Kinslayer.

Only for it to shatter against the Uchiha's ancestral weapon, **Dawn**.

Naruto barely noticed the shock in the woman's eyes before he brought down his twin swords carving her up from shoulder to her navel. She gurgled and spat blood at his golden armor before crumbling to the ground.

It was then he saw the unconscious form of Itama slumped against the trees. Every bone in his body was begging him to kill the boy, however the strategist within him knew his end was imminent.

Even if the Uchiha's lost this battle, if they had Itama as captive then the Senju's could be forced to give up all they had gained. Tajima Uchiha might let his own son die if it gained him the alliance of two great clans, but Hashirama Senju would rather sacrifice those allies if it meant the life of his younger brother.

Naruto could see Tobirama rushing towards him but one of Naruto's own clones got in his way allowing the Kinslayer to create one more shadow clone who quickly grabbed Itama by his shoulders.

The enemy army froze when Naruto's clone placed a kunai at Itama's throat. Even Tobirama stopped with horror ever present in his eyes.

"Move a muscle and I'll cut his throat" warned Naruto, even if his mind was pulling him in two directions.

The hatred burning within him was screaming at him to kill Itama and watch the pain it would wreck on Tobirama. It might even make the cold Senju go berserk which Naruto could use to kill him.

But the strategist within him knew how valuable a prisoner Itama was. The boy was also Naruto's lifeline in this battle for no matter how strong he was, there were just too many enemies here.

"What do you want?" asked Tobirama icily,

"Take your army and go back to your lands. Get me a written order from Hashirama stating the Senjus parting with the Yamanaka and Hatake Clans both. Then I shall release your brother back to your family" replied Naruto frankly,

He watched as a sea of conflicting emotions passed through Tobirama's eyes as he glanced at his younger brother and then at his army that was watching his every move.

 _"No deal"_

Naruto cringed when Tobirama raised a finger and instantly a mass of water erupted from beneath the ground destroying the shadow clone holding Itama captive while the injured Senju was quickly grabbed by his clansmen, this time being completely drawn away from the battlefield.

 _You used our conversation to gather time to make your move. Clever of you, Tobirama._

With his trump card destroyed, Naruto raised his swords again and watched the last of his clones getting destroyed. Still they had inflicted more casualties on their enemies which was a bonus in his books.

But now he knew his defeat was certain, even his death.

Still, one good thing was still left before him. A chance to avenge his dear brother for if he was to die today then he was taking Tobirama with him.

Both fighters stepped closer as the enemy army now formed a circle around them. Sensing Tobirama's furious gaze and killing intent, none of his allies tried to intervene which was a relief for Naruto.

"Ready to die, Kinslayer?" asked Tobirama coldly, raising his own sword which also now cackled with lightning much to Naruto's surprise.

He flung the ordinary sword in his hand aside for it would be useless against Tobirama's own dangerous weapon. Now they would both spar, Naruto with his great ancestral weapon and Tobirama with his own holy blade.

 _"Dance with me, then"_ taunted Naruto with a smirk,

Tobirama grimly nodded before they both charged forward clashing their swords sending wild sparks of lightning everywhere, with some even hitting careless Inuzuka who were stupid enough to stand too close. Tobirama winced at the injuries to his own allies and was further irritated when Naruto mocked him for it.

Tobirama used all his strength to land every powerful swing of his sword across his enemy's body, however the Kinslayer was very quick on his feet and even quicker with the movement of his sword which he used to deflect every blow.

Deciding to go on the offensive, Naruto forced a vertical slash towards Tobirama's head which the Senju blocked with his own weapon which left him wide open as Naruto suddenly jumped delivering a brutal kick on Tobirama's armor that sent the Senju crashing away while the Kinslayer flipped in the air while performing a set of hand seals quickly.

 **"Lightning Style: Electromagnetic Murder!"**

A maniacal laugh escaped from Naruto's lips as he watched the sheer horror that spread in Tobirama's eyes watching his own allies being electrified before his very eyes. Naruto didn't relent and continued to shoot bolts of lightning from his hands that were powerful enough to even hurt Kurama.

Against the lightly armored Senjus and their allies, the attack was a death blow and a dozen more were sent crashing away. Their lives already ended before they even hit the ground.

The carnage would have continued had Tobirama not made his move urgently...

 **"Water Style: Water Dragon!"**

Naruto was quite impressed when Tobirama used the water present in the air and turned it into a monstrous dragon with menacing yellow eyes. But by then he had also decided and acted on his counter move.

 **"Fire Style: Fire Dragon!"**

He so dearly wished his father and their clansmen could see him unleashing bright red flames from his mouth and shaping them into the image of a roaring fire dragon. They had all despised him for not being able to use fire jutsu naturally, but after years of training he was atleast good enough to perform some decent moves. Although pale in comparison to the things Madara could do with fire, Naruto liked to think his elder brother would be happy with his progress.

As both dragons of opposite nature clashed, a heavy mist spread across the area.

Naruto again realized he had a chance to flee in this short confusion but he also knew most of the enemy forces were here because of the threat he posed. If he ran away, then these same enemy forces would pursue his Uchiha allies, his Kinsguard comrades and Naori.

And he couldn't allow anymore of his people to die. Even if they hated or despised him, they were still his family and that was all there was to it.

So he used that short chaos to wreck more carnage across the battlefield by silently creeping upon unaware enemies and slicing their throats. He used genjutsu to trick the alarmed fighters into harming their own allies which only made him laugh.

But his fun didn't last long as a wild gust of wind dispersed the mist and he found himself again surrounded by enemies, albeit fewer than they were before.

Tobirama saw the three dozen more soldiers that Naruto had killed in the confusion and grimaced. This victory was going to be very costly...

But it also made one fact clear to him.

 _Naruto Uchiha was stronger than him._

He could continue to engage the man but it would not stop Naruto from causing chaos and killing more of Tobirama's supporters, and enough had already died on this front not too forget those who could have died on the other two flanks. He had to put an end to all this senseless death.

Setting his pride aside, he gave a subtle nod to his army.

Naruto's eyes widened when he saw dozens of enemies performing a quick set of hand seals and all of them were looking at him.

Dozens of fireballs, water bullets, wind cutters, lightning bolts, and even giant rocks were hurled at his position. He allowed them to assume that he was done for before at the last second he made a quick hand seal.

 _Kawarimi._

Tobirama cursed outloud when he felt a violent force pulling him, so sure he was of his victory that the chakra going through his feet was not enough to resist against the monstrous pull. Before he could blink, he appeared right into the spot the Kinslayer once stood. He just had enough time to see the army of attacks that had been launched by his own clansmen before they hit him.

Naruto collapsed brutally against the ground where Tobirama once stood as he heard the blood curling scream of the Senju with whom he had replaced himself at the last minute. By the time the dust settled, he found Tobirama smeared in burns and deep cuts across his entire body. The white haired Senju spat blood and the same liquid leaked out of a dozen wounds from his body as he fell to his knees before crashing gracelessly across the forest ground staining it crimson.

The Senjus and their allies watched in horror as their finest warrior fell, the victim of trickery.

Sensing the boiling hate and madness, Naruto quickly jumped towards Tobirama's slumped body and was relieved as well as furious to see the Senju was still alive if only barely.

He caught sight of the enemy army about to move forward in fury and quickly got up on his feet before planting his sword right ahead of Tobirama's head marking a clear line.

"You can kill me, but he dies with me. Then answer Hashirama how you got one of his brothers killed and the other hanging near death. I'm sure it would be quite an _interesting conversation_ " suggested Naruto with an arrogant smile,

"He's already a _dead man_. You think us fools? We know you'll kill him even if we retreat..." spat a Sarutobi furiously,

Every cell inside his body was telling him to kill Tobirama, his brother would have done it. But the rational part of his mind knew how important a hostage he could be not to forget even a valuable source of information on the Senjus and their plans. In that way, he was more important that Itama Senju for Tobirama was considered to be Hashirama's top officer.

Whatever his thoughts on the Senjus and their allies, one thing Naruto admired was the fact that they respected and actually cared for their comrades. Something which the Uchiha's lacked to some extent...

Both clans were just as worse despite what either side claimed. However, the Senjus looked after their friends and in return those friends looked after the Senjus.

''We don't trust you. Everyone knows you hate Tobirama..." spat a Senju bitterly,

"Yes, I hate him for killing my brother. But ending this conflict ensures the safety of my people and that of Hashirama's most trusted brother. Now make your choice, I am prepared" declared Naruto, as he picked up his sword and placed it just above Tobirama's head.

He saw the conflict in their eyes clearly. They didn't trust him not to kill Tobirama, which was quite justified for he didn't even trust himself not to do it. But if he was to turn this battle around and make sure his faction didn't lose all they had gained, then he had to sacrifice his personal vendetta.

It was hard and quite bitter for him, but the lives of his people mattered more than his pride.

Finally, one of the older Senjus with stark grey hair stepped forward and stared at him with a resigned look in his eyes.

"I can see in your eyes that you _seek_ death. You have nothing left to lose, but we do. We shall retreat for now and inform Hashrama of this" proposed the older Senju calmly,

"Tell him if he wants his brother back alive then he has to relinquish any alliance with the Yamanaka or Hatake. Their lands and clans belong to the Uchiha now. Do this and he'll get his brother back alive" promised Naruto hesitantly, and clenched his fists shut to suppress his boiling rage at himself.

It was the right thing to do, but gods it was hard.

"What assurance do you give us in return?" asked the Senju patiently,

Naruto glanced at his surroundings and realized he had nothing with himself that could serve as a reassurance to the Senjus. A proof of his word...

Then he glanced at his ancestral sword, **_Dawn_**.

His breath stopped as he knew what he had to do. The sword had been a part of him for all these years, had given him victories unmatched. The history of the Uchiha was inside this sword right from Indra to Naruto himself.

A priceless heirloom...

 _The only gift his Father had ever given him._

Closing his eyes, he tossed the sword towards the Senjus and heartbreakingly watched as one of them caught it. He knelt down and now placed a kunai at Tobirama's throat and saw the older Senju glance at the priceless weapon.

"That sword is my life and the pride of my clan. As long as you have it, Tobirama will live" said Naruto icily,

Even the Senjus and their allies gasped in surprise at the ancient weapon. Not only was it powerful and contained the history of the elemental nations, it was also worth more than two mountains of gold. One of the few valuable things the Uchiha's still possessed from the old days.

Naruto knew he would be further reviled for giving such a priceless heirloom as leverage. But he had no choice and it was not as if people would hate him less after today. But if it secured a victory, then it was worth it.

The older Senju glanced at him before giving a reluctant nod.

"That will suffice for now. Keep him alive, Kinslayer. Or you shall face Hashirama's wrath, and let me warn you there is _nothing_ more dangerous in this world than Hashirama's fury. It is that fury that compels us to accept this ceasefire..." warned the Senju,

"Understood" replied Naruto curtly,

He stood guard even when the Senju army turned back and started their march back home. Only when they were out of sight did Naruto finally kneel down and check on his prisoner. Tobirama looked so close to death that it would be a mercy if Naruto crushed his throat.

 _Not today._

With a resigned sigh, he again glanced suspiciously at his surroundings and used his sensory powers but he felt no presence other than his own and Tobirama's.

He walked ahead and picked up the common sword he had thrown aside before and made a shadow clone who placed Tobirama on his shoulders. When that was done, his eyes turned towards his final destination.

 _The Yamanaka settlement._

He remembered the promise he had made to that clan but they had not heeded his warning and betrayed his people.

Faint rain drops fell from the skies and soon enough it turned into a heavy downpour as if the heavens themselves wept for the carnage that was about to happen.

* * *

Itama Yamanaka bitterly watched as his precious town was now turned into a battlefield courtesy of the Uchiha and the Hatake forces. Despite the dire circumstances, the enemy army had came running back only to find Naori Uchiha protected by the Kinsguard. The Uchiha matriarch had been fast enough to escape the Castle before the Yamanaka guards could kill her, but instead of fleeing she had chosen to fight.

A fight that had been going on for quite sometime with no sign of an end.

Even though the Yamanaka had numbers on their side, the Kinsguard still managed to cut a bloody path through their forces. The only solace Itama had was the fact that Naruto Uchiha must have perished on the battlefield by now and without him this resistance wouldn't last long.

Another source of Itama's problems was the wild fox who was butchering dozens of his clansmen with laughing ease. Some of his people had been stupid enough to attack the beast and it had retaliated with _thrice_ the force.

"My lord..."

Itama was forced to turn his attention towards the eastern side of the town where one of his guards was pointing. And what he saw froze his heart.

Naruto Uchiha stood there with a clone of his who brutally dropped an injured ninja on the ground. Itama's eyes widened on seeing it was Tobirama Senju himself...

He remembered this boy's words from that night and judging from the sheer fury in his eyes...

" **STOP HIM NOW!** " shouted Itama in alarm,

His personal guard moved to intercept the bloodstained boy who himself charged ahead. Itama cringed when within seconds Naruto made quick work of his enemies before marching towards Itama.

The clan head performed a quick set of hand seals but had to duck when Naruto threw his sword straight at Itama's head. By the time Itama recovered, the Kinslayer had used a shunshin to appear right in front of him.

Alarmed, Itama sent a kick towards Naruto's armored chest and when the blow connected something unexpected happened.

Naruto didn't move an inch.

 _He's channeling great chakra to keep his hold on the ground._

Itama cried out in agony when the Kinslayer punished him for that mistake by connecting a solid blow to Itama's knees, the disgusting sound of bones cracking and Itama's scream drawing the attention of the fighting armies nearby.

Naruto moved quickly by first breaking the Itama's remaining leg, followed by the man's arms and finally connected a solid blow to his family jewels. By the time he was done, the Yamanaka clan head was gasping and moaning in pain.

"It's time I keep my promise" whispered Naruto reluctantly,

The Yamanaka fighters tried to come to their clan head's rescue but were fiercely pushed back when Kurama got in the way.

Naruto ignored the commotion and all the eyes that were on him and instead dragged Itama through the dirty streets by his collar before arriving towards a pole hanging in the town square. Without a word, he grabbed Itama and slammed the man against the wooden pole and quickly tied ninja wire around his body to keep him chained there.

"What...are...you...doing?" gasped Itama Yamanaka in horror,

Naruto stepped away from the man and when he looked back at the blonde older man he just asked one question.

"What are my clan's words?"

Itama started to struggle against his restraints as a new kind of fear overcame his heart. His supporters were trying their best to get to him but Kurama was not in the mood for leniency. Certainly not against fools who tried to rape his mind.

There was no mercy or hesitation in Naruto's heart as he weaved through a set of hand seals and at the last second saw Itama cry out for mercy.

But it was too late.

 **"Fire Style: Dragon Flame Bomb!"**

Itama Yamanaka's _scream_ tore across his entire settlement as the fierce flames washed over him. His fine blonde hair caught fire and so did the rest of his body. The man _screamed_ and _screamed_ , his melting eyes pleading with the boy before him to end his suffering.

Stone faced Naruto watched the man burn alive before his very eyes. He didn't need to turn back in order to see the horror and fear that was spreading across the Yamanaka forces. He felt all their emotions and he knew after this people would only fear and hate him even more.

But he had promised to burn them alive if they disobeyed his commands or betray the Uchiha and they had done just that under the command of this man.

He had to enforce his promise no matter how much it repulsed him or their enemies would never take the Uchiha seriously.

Burning a clan head like Itama of such an ancient and prestigious clan was going to send tremors across the elemental nations.

Naruto's hands threatened to tremble as the burning man's screams got louder and more painful. But he didn't look away even as he watched the flesh burn and melt from Itama's entire body. He stared back at the man blankly.

He didn't know how much time passed before Itama's screams turned into painful moans and into desperate sobs before his head finally slumped making Naruto close his eyes in relief. He could have ended the man's suffering but it wouldn't have enforced his message fully.

The lone tear that fell from his eyes being the sole proof of his own sadness and revulsion before he masked his emotions and turned to face the Yamanaka fighters with his burning sharingan eyes.

Sounds of steel crashing to the ground echoed across the ground as one after another every Yamanaka fighter threw down their weapons, horror and fear ever present in their eyes as they watched the charred form of their clan head. They would never forget his _screams_ nor the _scale of retribution_ the Uchiha were capable of.

 **Fire and Blood.**

Thunder rumbled across the skies with heavy rains cleansing the bloodstained lands. The smoke and ash alongwith the souls of all the dead being taken to the afterlife.

And Naruto watched them all, every life he ended today. All of them ascending out of this painful world to something better. They had all lived and died as true warriors regardless of their allegiances, for a moment he felt the faces of his three dead brothers staring at him.

They were smiling at him, waving their hands as an invitation for him to join them.

He wanted nothing more than to join them after today, to escape from this insufferable world where he faced and committed atrocities everyday. A world where killing was as regular as drinking water.

To end this battle he had crippled a man's young brother, beaten the same man to a bloody pulp and took him hostage, and now burned another man alive.

It had ended the battle with the surrender before him the very proof of that. His clan was victorious despite all the odds and betrayal they had faced.

And yet he felt more defeated than ever.

His people and the Hatake's survived but what he did would haunt him for the rest of his life. When he looked in Kurama's eyes the fox had neither sympathy or pity in his eyes, something for which Naruto was thankful for. However, neither did the beast have any anger or repulsion in his eyes for Naruto's actions, the same could not be said for the Yamanaka or even Naruto's own clansmen and allies alike.

He started his march back towards the forests in order to be away from all these people, this town, from everything. People parted away from him as if he was the plague itself including his Kinsguard and his aunt, but he didn't blame them.

The fox wordlessly joined beside him making Naruto glance at him sadly,

 _"There are no victors here"_

* * *

 **Author's Note: End of Second Arc.**

 **No cliffhangers this time!**

 **I've got a few things to say regarding recent reviews, questions, predictions, and expectations from my readers.**

 **I'm slowly molding this story in the direction I have in mind be it Naruto's character progression, his secret behind the name Kinslayer, even mangekyo and his love interests. He's a complex character with quite a lot of flaws but his one redeeming quality is that he's still loyal to his family despite all that has happened. In that way, he's just like a German Shepherd. He has never said that he's a nice person but a selfish one, but his actions towards his own family show that his feelings on this matter are not entirely true.**

 **Next arc will build up on all these things I've developed so far and reveal quite a lot of things that you have been waiting for, the most important being Tsunade's entrance and the biggest suspense of this story.**

 **Thank you for staying with this story and giving so much support.**

 **And please review your thoughts on this chapter. What do you think of Naruto's actions and the consequences?**

 **Until Next chapter,**

 **Blackwolf501**


	11. The Soul

**Thank you for the support. Hope you continue it.**

 **Chapter 11**

 **The Soul**

* * *

(Two Days Later)

Hashirama Senju pensively sat in his chambers, his vacant eyes blankly staring at a empty piece of paper through which he could sign a deal that would prevent his side from gaining the support of two of the most noble and prestigious clans.

In front of him, his only sister paced restlessly. Her face a mask of righteous fury, he had never imagined Tsunade to develop into the warrior she was today. She was the epitome of power and grace mixed together. In his opinion, she was probably the most powerful kunoichi and second best medic in the Land of Fire. He often wondered where that little girl he had carried on his shoulders disappeared to be replaced by a 15 year old young woman who stood 5 feet nine inches tall before him. Her blonde hair had grown longer now almost reaching her back and which she kept tied in a fine ponytail. Her skin was fairer than all of her brothers except for Tobirama and she had all the womanly curves including her generous chest. Many men had fallen to her charms only to have their necks slit when she turned on them. Most of all her temper was more dangerous than any of her siblings and right now she looked ready to draw blood.

He glanced at the older Senju man in the room, one who had brought him the message from the Uchihas.

Kota Senju was an old man who had seen enough warfare to last three generations. He had served Hashirama's grandfather as a young boy, Hashirama's Father as an experienced fighter, and Hashirama himself as a war veteran and right now the same man was glancing at the map of the Land of Fire territory and Hashirama was worried to see that the Uchiha who controlled the North were now rapidly expanding their territory and influence. Their army was larger than that of Hashirama because of all the smaller clans they had gathered. And now they threatened to take the Yamanaka and Hatake as well which would be a dangerous blow to Hashirama's side.

Most of all they had captured Tobirama and it worried Hashirama every second.

"What do they say of Naruto Uchiha in the North?" asked Hashirama curiously, making his sister glance at Kota as well.

The older man looked at them for a moment before glancing at the Uchiha's ancestral weapon resting on Hashirama's desk. The Senju siblings didn't miss the older man shivering for a second as he recalled some bad memory.

"They call him _The Young Dragon_. They say he rides into battle on the back of a giant fox, some say he can turn into a fox himself. And he's the greatest swordsman I have ever seen..." confessed Kota without hesitation, earning a derisive snort from Tsunade.

" _The Kinslayer_ is just one man..." dismissed Tsunade, and was surprised when Kota shook his head.

"A man who has won every battle he's fought, My Princess" warned Kota,

Hashirama was still surprised when his people and allies alike called Tsunade _a Princess_. Granted, the Senju's were one of the two most ancient and most powerful families but they were not royalty like the Fire Damiyo. And yet they called her Princess giving her that much respect and love but then again his sister had always been the favorite of their people because of being the only daughter of their Father.

"What happened there, Kota?" asked Hashirama patiently, wanting to hear the complete account of their defeat.

"We went in according to the plan Tobirama suggested attacking the Uchiha on all fronts. Apart from Naruto himself, his _Kinsguard_ had taken up command of the flanks and they wrecked havoc on our forces. That group is no less dangerous than their leader and would have killed many more of our own if they had not been ordered to fall back by Naruto himself. As for the boy, he fought valiantly and when surrounded by our forces he chose to stay behind allowing his surviving comrades a chance to flee. We tried to overwhelm him but he was very powerful, but more than that he's smart. He killed hundreds of our ninjas before taking Tobirama hostage at the last moment. We couldn't continue the attack without the risk of him killing Tobirama..." explained Kota briefly,

"You should have saved my brother, Kota. The Kinslayer was alone and there were _hundreds_ of you" snapped Tsunade, for she remembered how badly injured Itama had been when he was brought back, all thanks to the Kinslayer. And now another of her brothers was captured by that same man and only gods knew what the butcher was doing to her poor brother.

"My Princess, you cannot intimidate a man who _seeks_ death. I saw it in his eyes, the desire to die and he would have gladly done it if we attacked. And I assure you, he would have chopped of Tobirama's head before we killed him. That was not a price I was wiling to pay" clarified Kota honestly, and prepared himself for a long argument when Tsunade looked about to protest again until one voice stopped them both.

 **"Enough!"**

Hashirama's calm but commanding voice made both Senjus stop bickering and glance at their clan leader. Yet Tsunade was not finished and she approached her eldest brother and knelt by his side, even taking his hands in her own and looked at him pleadingly.

"Give me the men, brother. I'll save Tobirama" promised Tsunade, unable to hide the worry and fear in her heart for the life of her captured brother. No matter her anger, she loved her family probably even more than Hashirama. But then again Tsunade didn't have the burden of command on her shoulders.

So, he patted her cheek like the young sister she was and gave her a kind smile.

"I cannot lose any more of my siblings. Nor do I want to lose more men..." admitted Hashirama gently,

"Then come with us. No matter how strong the Kinslayer is, he is no match for you" encouraged Tsunade, and was frustrated when Hashirama shook his head.

"It will only lead to more bloodshed and Naruto Uchiha is a fine commander who will make us bleed heavily for that victory and enough of our men have already died. I just got word the Yamanaka have officially surrendered and allied with the Uchiha. The boy burned their clan head alive and his supporters put the rest of the Yamanaka leadership to the sword, there is no way either Yamanaka or Hatake will join us now. And I will not kill Madara's _last_ and _youngest brother_ " declared Hashirama,

Tsunade clenched her hands away from his and looked at him with fury and disappointment evident in her hazel eyes. More than that, Hashirama also spotted revulsion in her eyes at the actions of Naruto Uchiha.

"He's not your friend anymore, brother! Whatever bond you two shared all those years ago, _he forsake it!_ " yelled Tsunade angrily, but felt guilty when she saw the raw pain in his eyes on that remark.

It still was beyond her belief that her eldest brother and Madara had actually been good friends a few years ago. Neither of them had known each other's true identity and from the happy smile that always arrived on his face on remembering those days, Tsunade knew Hashirama treasured them dearly. But it all had fallen apart when they both learned each other's true identity, Madara had been repulsed by the truth and the bond he shared with the Senju was shattered.

Madara had walked away but Hashirama was still waiting at the crossroads for his friend to return back to him.

"If I kill Madara's _last_ brother none of us shall survive the **_storm_** he would bring into our lives. That boy is the last line of defense holding back Madara's sanity. If he dies then there shall _never_ be peace between our families" explained Hashirama seriously,

"My lord, The Uchiha have never desired peace with us. They shall not stop until they have destroyed us and our allies completely" advised Kota, and frowned when Hashirama glanced at him and Tsunade with a smile on his face.

"Peace is possible, Kota. If we are so passionate about fighting, then I am equally passionate about peace. My father never wanted it, nor his father before him, but I do. _And I, Hashirama Senju am the head of this clan_ "

Tsunade shivered and stepped back on seeing the determined gaze of her brother hiding behind that smile of his. Her eldest brother was kind of heart and a friendly person, but everyone including his siblings knew there was no stopping him if he decided on something fully.

"I shall rescue my brother and resolve this conflict without further bloodshed" informed Hashirama,

"How?" asked Tsunade with a frown,

In response her brother got up from his chair and grabbed **Dawn** , the Uchiha ancestral sword from his desk. When he started marching towards the exit, both Tsunade and Kota were forced to follow after him.

"Prepare our escort. We march for the capital"

* * *

Naruto felt the winds rush past him as he galloped across the dense forests of the Land of Fire on the back of his giant fox friend. They had been riding for two days now with only a minimal amount of rest in their journey, not many words were spoken and neither there was need for them.

Kurama had been quite surprised when Naruto asked to visit the _Amaterasu temple_ built by Indra Uchiha himself in the honor of the ancient goddess. While most noble clans and people alike followed the new gods, the Uchihas were the only family who kept faith with the Old Gods.

But never had the fox taken Naruto to be a devout man. The boy had more reason than most to detest the gods and their existence for the several injustices he had to face in life, but when the battle against the Senjus ended and when Itama Yamanaka burned to his death, Kurama had seen something had broken inside of Naruto.

And he could only hope the temple now arriving in front of them could provide his friend the help he needed. Not many would understand what Naruto did in the battle had saved lives, of both enemies and allies alike. But those actions weighed heavily on his consciousness.

Kurama carried his only human friend upwards the hundreds of high steps and deposited him at the gates of the temple.

One of the unique things the fox observed was the lack of presence of any men here. The outer compound was full of several priestesses and their servant girls. Even the guards were female warriors and if he recalled correctly these were a warrior group of women who actually fought and won against men, taking their defeated prisoners and proposing them to either die by the sword or give their seed to the woman. If the union produced a boy, then he would be given to the Father and if it was a girl then she would be raised by the mother to either become a priestess or warrior who defended this ancient temple. Located between the Senju and Uchiha borders, this place of worship had not been harmed by either side because the Uchihas were followers of the Old Gods and the Senjus respected religion enough not to do violence against its practitioners.

Only true warriors were allowed to visit this temple and Naruto was one of them. The boy got off Kurama's back and looked at his friend with the unasked question in his eyes.

 **"Go on. I don't worship these gods of yours when I am practically one _myself_ "** boasted the beast with a smug grin,

Naruto's lips curved into his usual sarcastic smirk and Kurama was relieved to see that side of him after so much time. The boy had been so quiet after what he had to do for their victory.

He again surprised the fox by kneeling down and embracing Kurama in a firm hug.

"No man has ever had or will ever have a friend like you, Kurama. Thank you for being there" whispered Naruto,

Kurama fought back his own tears at those kind and heart warming words. No one had ever said something so nice to him after the Rikudo Sennin, everyone who ever saw him only called him a monster. After what happened to his siblings, he had drifted aimlessly in this world and only his duty to keep watch over the Uchiha had prevented him from becoming a mad dog.

But Naruto was different, when men would have been afraid of Kurama and his power this boy was not at all intimidated. He befriended Kurama, looked after him, protected and shielded him even if Kurama was capable of protecting himself. Never had Naruto asked him to fight his battles, yet Kurama had fought for this boy.

Because despite not wanting to, he had came to love this boy just the way he had loved Indra once before he went astray. Naruto was so much like the boy Kurama had once loved and devoted himself to, but at the same time he was different.

 _Something more._

When they parted, Naruto gave him a small grateful smile before getting back on his feet and walking towards the temple.

Kurama still watched him and was proud to see that despite so many beautiful priestesses around him, the boy only nodded back at them respectfully. Despite what the boy claimed, Kurama knew Naruto tried to adhere to his own sense of morals and honor. It set him apart from his Uchiha family, yet Kurama had always felt an aura of melancholy around the boy.

He was born in tragedy because of the death of his mother who died trying to give him life, the same way Indra's mother died giving birth to Ashura. Kurama remembered Indra being the same as this boy in some matters, the only thing separating them was the fact that Naruto was jovial and sarcastic. But the aura of tragedy and sadness was ever present in his life just as Indra had in his own. The Uchiha founder had dearly loved his family once just like Naruto did with his own. Indra had been just as protective of his brother and family like Naruto even if those same people detested him for his skill and personality.

But in the end, in Indra's eyes that same family betrayed him. The man's own father robbed him off his rightful position as successor, it was another matter that Indra didn't have the personality to make men love and follow him. Ashura himself usurped what was lawfully Indra's and that started a war that had never ended till this day.

Being the few who knew the boy's truth, Kurama couldn't help but see the similarities. Naruto had always been hated and looked down upon by his Father, Tajima even robbed his own son off his rights just as the Rikudo Sennin did with Indra. The Uchiha themselves hated Naruto just as many of the Rikudo Sennin's followers detested Indra for his strict style of ruling.

The only thing stopping Naruto from being the Indra of this cycle was Madara and Naori's love. It kept the boy sane despite all he had done and endured, but Kurama was now seeing cracks that had started to develop in Naruto's impregnable armor.

He could only hope the boy didn't follow in the footsteps of his ancestors because if that happened...

 _Kurama was duty bound to kill him._

And it would break the beast's heart forever and shatter his last shred of hope in humanity itself.

* * *

Naruto knelt before the altar with his attentive eyes staring at the large statue of a woman dressed in fine silk and wearing a shining crown on her head which was bright enough to match the rays of the sun. No wonder she was called the _Goddess of the Sun_. In her hands, she held a collection of flowers and in another she held a great sword. Even if the statue was made of stone, he actually felt as if he was standing before the goddess himself.

And it made him feel small and insignificant.

He could still see Itama Yamanaka burning alive whenever he closed his eyes, could still hear the man screaming in his dreams. Granted, he had burned many enemies with his fire attacks in battles but to voluntarily burn a man alive with a single purpose of cowering his supporters was not something he had ever done.

"What brings you here before the Goddess, Stranger?"

He turned towards the soft and kind voice and despite his control over his emotions, he couldn't help but marvel the beauty before him. The only thing that stopped him from blushing was her priestess robes and her sole armed female bodyguard who glared at him. Still, Naruto turned back towards the woman and noticed she had waist length black hair tied in a ponytail and sharp green eyes. She was beautiful with feminine grace and it made his heart skip a few beats.

But then he remembered his oath towards his Father and averted his eyes from her mesmerizing face. He vaguely heard her dismissing her bodyguard before she knelt beside him and prayed to the Goddess.

A comfortable silence stretched between them as Naruto thought about his next course of action. This temple was famous among warriors broken from war, it was known for its kind and caring priestesses who helped lost men and women find their way in life. It was a selfless order kept safe by the fierce female clan of warriors called **_Nadeshia_**. The only thing they asked in return was whatever the visitors felt comfortable in giving.

Some gave charity in form of food, water and clothing. Some gave weapons, few women even joined the order of holiness after enduring war their entire lives. And a handful men also gave the _Nadeshia_ clan children to continue their clan.

He wondered what would be asked of him to give. She must have recognized his look as she gave him a kind smile, she was older than him by a few years.

"You are safe here" she promised, and despite his ninja nature he felt he could trust her.

"My name...is Naruto Uchiha" he said hesitantly, unsure if on learning his identity if she would hate him for he had done many wrongs in life. And in the eyes of the gods he was a sinner, the worst one bearing the name _Kinslayer_.

"And I am Shizuka Nadeshia" she replied with that same gentle smile, if she recognized him she did very well in hiding her hatred if she had any.

He gave her a respectful bow which earned a melodious laughter from her which brought a smile to his own face despite his troubled heart.

"You are a noble, aren't you?" she asked curiously,

"How would you know?" he questioned back with the same curiosity,

"I have been observing you from the moment you arrived. Most men who come here are often distracted by the beauty of the priestesses and warrior women alike. It is why they often end up fighting our guards and be beaten. The good ones are allowed to provide us our next generation. But you were different. Never once did you look at any woman the wrong way, even now you show me the proper respect and your only purpose here is the one with the goddess" she answered,

Naruto was stunned. To think she could learn so much about him in just a short span of time, this was no ordinary woman.

"You have a broken heart..." she said with a sad smile,

He had heard rumors about the ability of a few priestess who claimed to have glimpses of the future and know the true soul of every human being on meeting them. Never had he believed in those rumors, but Shizuka's gaze was so intense that he felt she could unveil his darkest mysteries in moments.

Yet she continued despite his alarmed expression...

"You were born in tragedy amidst _tears, blood and fire_. I see great joy and great loss to have occurred the moment you took your first breath. And I see a smile on your face the day you breathe your last" she whispered,

Naruto despite not wanting to believe her words couldn't help but find quite a lot of truth in what she said to him. He had been born in tears, blood and fire. Tears of joy and sorrow from his mother and family respectively, blood from the life Hikari Uchiha sacrificed to give him his own and fire for the family he was born in. The Uchiha, descendants of Dragons.

People often said even in her dying moments, his mother had been overjoyed on seeing her last and youngest child. The son she had worked hard and bore so much pain to give life. Yet it was also the day his father truly smiled for the last time. Even his brothers had been saddened on watching their mother die.

And the last part had been his secret wish. To die a happy and content man who did all he could for his family and his brother.

Never had he shared his wish with anyone, not even Kurama. And yet this woman...

He looked around the temple and only now he felt an aura he had never felt before. His great ancestor, Indra had built this place and in someway Naruto felt more connected to him here than anywhere else.

"I have sinned, Priestess" admitted Naruto, earning a nod from her.

"There is not one man who could claim he hasn't" she pointed gracefully, which did make him feel a bit better if only for a moment before his dark memories came back to haunt him.

"How can I forgive myself for the things I have done? How would the gods if they exist forgive me for my crimes?" he asked hesitantly,

He knew what kind of person he was and in the eyes of the almighty he was perhaps the worst of humanity. Shizuka stayed silent for several long moments while staring at Amaterasu's statue standing tall before them both.

"God forgives all his children eventually. He made us in his image and despite all our crimes, we all have some good in us that we inherited from god. Even if you believe yourself a sinner, there must be some good things you have done in your life" she suggested patiently,

"A few" he said reluctantly, making her smirk.

"Then forgive yourself while trying to do the best you can for yourself and those whom you care about. Live the life the way you want and not how others want you to. And let the gods be the judge when you meet them in heaven" she advised, and was not surprised when he snorted.

"After the things I have done, I don't think heaven would be the ideal place for me" he joked with his usual sarcastic grin,

But her firm stare unnerved him a little and made his grin falter. Maybe it was him, but were her eyes shining brighter than before?

"What do you truly desire in life, Naruto Uchiha?" she asked seriously,

He pondered her question in his mind and the usual answer about duty to his clan and family were ever present. But there were other wishes as well, those he had buried a longtime ago. In the end he decided to let go of some of his burden in this holy place no matter how foolish it sounded.

"I want to be loved''

He averted his gaze from her piercing stare for he knew she would laugh at his childish desire. He was no longer the young boy from his past who needed affection. He was a man now and his Father had always said men were like rocks.

 _Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken._

Men were the pillar of the society. They were the leaders to whom humanity looked upto for guidance and stability.

Still, she never laughed at him or gave a funny remark which made him look back at her with surprise evident in his eyes.

"I see three instances in your life, Naruto Uchiha. Events when your soul will be tested and what decisions you make then will affect your life and this world as well. And at the same time, I see great darkness in you waiting to consume you. Day by day your faith in this world is falling apart and at this rate even your love for your family will not stop you from becoming the **_destroyer_** of this world" revealed Shizuka in a grave voice,

Shivers passed across his entire body on her words. And yet she didn't look to be finished...

"Or you can be the **_savior_** of this world but only if you become the man you are truly meant to be. Whatever choice you make, know this that the world shall remember you for a very long time"

He clenched his fists on hearing her words which only added further to his problems. But he would not allow himself to fall into believing prophecies for a man shaped his own destiny, not the gods.

Shizuka must have realized his thoughts as she placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"When you already know that _you_ are the architect of your own life, why bind yourself in chains?"

He stared at her in shock for all his problems and worries had been resolved in those simple words. All this time he had imagined the world to be against him when he himself had been the one to do it.

He never wanted titles, wealth or even leadership.

All he wanted was...

 _Be happy...little brother._

He closed his eyes holding back the tears as his dead brother's last words came back to him. Even with his dying breath, Izuna had wished for him to be happy knowing that was all Naruto had ever wanted.

Shizuka now stepped before him and offered him her hand which he took and raised himself back on his feet. There was a knowing smile on her face and he couldn't help but return it with a relieved one of his own.

"Now what do you want?" she asked curiously,

"I want to have a family, for my people to respect and love me again, to bring an end to this bloody war, and have justice for my brothers, and protect the ones I love. That is all I ever wanted..." he confessed, earning a nod from her.

"Then you will have it all, but only if you work for it with all your heart. I see something truly unique in you, don't let others dictate your life. **_Seize_** control and become the sun of your own life, just as Goddess Amaterasu is the sun of all our lives" advised Shizuka,

He surprised her when he respectfully knelt before her and bowed his head.

"Thank you"

She smiled and made him rise back on his feet.

"I did my duty as the Goddess would have wanted me to" replied Shizuka politely, and saw he was not satisfied with her answer this time.

"Still, I must insist to provide something in return for the peace you have given me" said Naruto honestly,

Shizuka looked at him for several long moments, and why did he feel she was checking him out in a way not appropriate for a priestess. But then again there was no written law that forbade these women of god from living their mortal lives to the fullest extent.

These Nadeshia people were quite strange indeed.

He was surprised when she came forward and laid a hand on his cheek making him realize a small stubble had started to grow there already. There was something intense burning in her eyes that drew him closer to her and suddenly he was exposed to her appeasing sweet smell that was similar to blue roses.

"How about this?"

She raised an eyebrow when he blushed heavily at her intended suggestion.

"I...haven't...done...it...before" he stammered in embarrassment,

" _Truly?_ Someone handsome like you would have women swooning over him..." remarked Shizuka without shame, further adding to his embarrassment

"Or do you swing the other way?"

Naruto choked harshly and had to cough several times earning another melodious laughter from her remark and further to his embarrassment. Something within him ignited at that moment, a fire in his heart that was worthy of his dragon blood.

He was not willing to use Mikoto who was infatuated with him, she was a beautiful woman but more than that she was a good person and he didn't doubt she would ever refuse him should he need her body to comfort or pleasure him. But he would not endanger her by doing so.

But a casual fling with a willing and attractive partner didn't sound bad. And somehow bedding a priestess ignited the wild side of his that he kept in check all these years.

"Are you sure?" he asked her one last time,

His response was a passionate kiss.

* * *

Kurama had to wait until nightfall for his friend to return and when he saw him, he knew something had changed.

Naruto walked taller and prouder than before, the guilt still lingered in his eyes but alongwith that Kurama also saw fierce determination. A man burning with passion whose every stride made the ground beneath him tremble a little, made every passerby glance at him awe and fear both.

He saw him going into this temple as a broken boy but now he saw a grown man returning.

The beast's eyes somehow drifted towards the temple top where he saw a women staring at Naruto's retreating form.

Kurama blinked...

 _Could it be?_

It was hard to tell when Naruto masked his emotions so perfectly but he did smell a scent on his friend that was not his own. And it laid quite heavy on his body which confirmed what Kurama had suspected.

And he made sure to remind his friend of that...

 **"You defied your Father..."** stated Kurama, and was stunned when Naruto looked back at him without a flinch.

"Yes"

Kurama had known this boy for years now and nothing had made him hesitate more than to defy Tajima Uchiha and his orders. Yet the Naruto he stared at right now was not someone who was going to accept the things laid out before him. There was a fire in his eyes, the will to accomplish his dreams he had as a boy. Ones which were lost in the tragedies of his life...

And he was going to burn anyone who got in his way.

 **"She could get pregnant, Naruto"** warned Kurama, for he was quite aware the retribution Tajima would wreck on his son for defying his order of never maintaining any kind of relationship with any women. The man was even more ruthless than his own sons which was saying something.

"I know"

Again with the short and cryptic answers which made Kurama growl and Naruto to finally stare at him straight with his hard eyes.

"If it's a girl she will either stay with her or come to me. If it's a boy I shall raise him, and if neither happens then I'll consider this my first step in regaining all I have lost" promised Naruto,

 **"But you were forbidden from ever having a family"** said Kurama seriously,

The murderous glare that came in Naruto's eyes made Kurama take a step back out of caution for it reminded him of the same rage that had came in Indra's eyes when the man's own father did him injustice.

"I am _taking back_ what is ** _mine_** with force if I have to. If my Father tries to resist, I shall destroy his _precious legacy_ to shreds. Long have I allowed others to roll over me, I thought things would change and that my people would turnaround. That this world will become a better place but I was wrong. If I want things to change, then I have to conquer my own problems first" explained Naruto seriously,

Kurama was left speechless and couldn't help but wonder as to what must have passed between Naruto and this priestess. His friend was a secretive and strange man, taking inspirations from things most men would neither notice or understand. Even if he didn't know what truly happened, he was glad to see the boy he had met first years ago. The one who had so many dreams and ambitions in life. All these years that boy had been buried beneath the burden of family and duty, but finally the boy had died and a man was born.

 **"You plan to conquer the entire world?"** asked Kurama cheekily, earning a cocky grin from his friend.

"If I have to. I dare say it would be quite the adventure, wouldn't you say, old friend?" asked Naruto happily,

The both embraced each other with laughs before Kurama allowed Naruto to get on top of his back. He watched the Uchiha's lingering gaze still resting on the beautiful woman who was waving back at him sadly. Naruto in return gave her his own sad smile and waved back before turning his beast friend around to begin their charge back towards the Yamanaka settlement.

"No one should ever know about this. Not Father, Naori or even Madara or any other person" instructed Naruto,

 **"You don't trust them?"** asked Kurama in surprise, for all the gods knew the boy loved his family.

"It's not that. We are all duty bound towards the clan and to Father. Even if they don't want to reveal this secret, Father could force them. And I don't trust the old man. He may never allow me to have a family but this way should Shizuka ever have a child of mine, then my line and family would continue. Once Father dies, then I know my brother will gladly welcome his niece or nephew into the clan. The fact that their mother was a highly respected priestess should do well in silencing any protests" clarified Naruto,

 **"You _sly little bastard_. I forgot you could be quite the mastermind, you really have thought this all through and I have to assume this Shizuka is happy to be the mother of your children should she have any. I mean, you barely know each other"** said Kurama with a frown, making Naruto laugh.

"You don't understand their culture, fox. They seek men who are strong and good, the fact that I am handsome and of noble blood only makes me more popular. Besides, it was quite the experience and I want to punch my Father for preventing me all this time" said Naruto harshly, making Kurama laugh.

 **''Whatever you say, it's your decision. But there is a some sense in this mad plan of yours, _but a Priestess? And that too inside the temple?_ Gods, you have no shame man"** mocked Kurama with a grin,

He regretted those words when without warning Naruto activated his sharingan and looked right into Kurama's eyes.

 **"YOU BASTARD!"**

Naruto laughed boisterously on hearing Kurama roar in fury and even his stomach hurt as the beast desperately tried to blink his eyes shut. As if doing so would rid him of the exact memory Naruto had placed in his mind, of Naruto and Shizuka going at it like dogs in heat for hours.

''Take that, _you stupid fox_ " taunted Naruto with a smug grin,

 **"I will _kill you_ for this disgusting nightmare you have placed in my mind!"** screamed Kurama, but it only made Naruto laugh more.

"Then who will remove this beautiful memory from your mind? Only I and Madara can do it, and I don't think you want to ask my brother for help. So hush you stupid fox and run" commanded Naruto with a smirk,

Kurama yelled hundreds of nasty obscenities for nearly an hour but it only made Naruto laugh more and more until his sides started to hurt. Yet he was happy and free of the burden that had weighed heavily on his mind ever since he burned Itama Yamanaka.

There would always be darkness in this world, enemies always waiting to harm him.

But if he was to find true happiness then he had to conquer it. Izuna had wished it for him with his dying breath and if not for himself than Naruto was going to do it for his dear brother.

He had to find his way back to power, respect and his place in his family no matter the cost or consequences.

His encounter with Shizuka was one he was not going to ever forget for it had truly opened his eyes in more ways than he could have imagined. But it also made him wonder about something.

He had not loved Mikoto or Shizuka, yet he was attracted to them for different reasons. He had maintained different kind of relationships with them yet he didn't love them.

Did that make him a heartless bastard? Or someone who was not capable of love?

Either way he doubted he could ever love any woman in his life permanently. The gods had to practically throw Shizuka at his face to make him realize many important things, would they do the same the next time?

But then again he had not yet been bound to any woman no matter how hard they tried.

Naori had always called him a _Wild Dragon_ and his actions as well as personality befit his aunt's hypothesis. The only one possible of even getting a hold on him should be more crazier or wilder than him.

And those kind of morons were a rare breed in this unforgiving world.

Maybe he could be a Casanova kind of bachelor? That thought was quite amusing to his young mind for it filled his head with several enticing images.

But for now he was content in basking in pure joy as Kurama yelled at him to take those memories out of his head.

* * *

(Next Day)

When he entered the borders of Yamanaka territory he was very pleased to see a joint force of Uchiha, Hatake and Yamanaka keeping watch. What actually surprised him was the roar of approval and cheers from not just the Hatake's...

 _But the Uchiha's as well._

Even Kurama seemed surprised by this change of heart.

And as they continued to march straight towards the settlement the roar only continued to grow louder and more bolder. On everyone's lips there was just one chant...

 **The Young Dragon**

Naruto's throat felt dry as he remembered this same name given to him in honor of his first victory against the Senjus, back then he had not felt anything for this title because he had lost three brothers for the victory.

But now...

For the first time in his life he saw true respect and even admiration in the eyes of his people and it was all for him.

It was overwhelming.

He had never received even a quarter of this love and cheers when he defeated the Fuma Clan in single combat. But then again they were not Senjus and any victory against those tree huggers was enough to make any Uchiha a legend.

And Naruto knew he had managed to achieve victory from the jaws of death. He had saved the lives of his clansmen, thrashed the Senjus, took Tobirama hostage and had successfully managed to bring two great clans to their side.

It was a great victory, probably his best till now. And he had every intention of achieving even greater ones should it give him even half of the love he was receiving right now.

He had been afraid that his people and allies alike would hate him for burning Itama Yamanaka alive, but that single act had secured their victory. Could it be at that time they had just been too shocked of his action rather than be repulsed?

It had to be the case because if it wasn't that not every Uchiha or Hatake would be coming forward to greet and praise him.

 **"THE YOUNG DRAGON!"**

 **"THE YOUNG DRAGON!"**

 **"THE YOUNG DRAGON!"**

He road through the town that was shaking with the loud cheers and callings of his title over and over. Had he himself been the reason for his misery all these years? Was it so easy to change his own world?

But now he knew where the problem had been.

It had always been just one person, _Naruto himself._

He had borne the guilt of killing his clansmen and his failure in saving his brothers, it made him loath himself. And how could he expect people to love him when he didn't even love himself? How could he expect the prideful Uchiha to respect him when he himself allowed them to mock him behind his back?

Had he confronted them, even punished a few severely then perhaps they would have feared him. But they would not dare to mock him or curse him...

But it was all in the past now.

 _Seize Control of your life._

He remembered Shizuka's words to him and it was only now that his shoulders stood tall and proud. His smile was infectious as he truly basked in the much awaited love from his people. The Uchiha's were a prideful clan and one who had long memories.

They would never forget a slight and answer it with thrice the retribution, but they were not one to forget loyalty and sacrifice either.

And he had given them both for nearly _ten years_ while bearing all their scorn and hate.

"You made it, boy" whispered Kurama, and while the beast didn't give a rat's ass about what the Uchiha thought of his friend he was atleast relieved to see them accept Naruto for the man he was. It took ten fucking years of misery and pain, but the moment was here.

They both arrived at the Yamanaka castle to be greeted by Naori and the entire Kinsguard alongwith a small force of Uchiha and Hatake officers.

When Naruto dismounted and walked towards them, he made sure to keep his emotions in check. No need to appear smug when the look in his aunt's eyes was quite grave. But he was surprised when his clansmen knelt before him and the Hatake's gave a respectful bow.

Naori gave him a fierce embrace but said nothing about his absence for three days. He had gone away knowing she and his friends could handle it, and they had done just that and more. He had a feeling his aunt and his friends might have a hand in making their clansmen truly accept what he had done for them even going so far as almost sacrificing his life.

Still, it was just a small contingent of his large clan and allies. There were still the Elders, lesser noble families, and the common Uchiha civilians and soldiers both. He would have to win their hearts too, but this was a start.

He was brought out of his inner musings when Naori wordlessly passed him a scroll.

And his eyes widened when he recognized the seal.

 _The Fire Damiyo._

Quickly he opened the letter and saw the seal was already partially broken meaning his aunt had already read the message and as he went through the content of the letters his smile disappeared to be replaced by a cold mask of fury.

"What will you do?" asked Naori hesitantly,

Naruto saw Kurama looking at him for information and decided to explain what had happened.

"The Senjus have went to the Capital with quite a large force. It is known to everyone the Damiyo favors them but he also doesn't want to antagonize the Uchiha. The Damiyo has called our side for negotiations in hopes of reaching some form of truce" explained Naruto seriously,

"So they ask for talks while keeping an army nearby to slaughter us should we not agree to their terms? Doesn't Hashirama realize we will kill his brother before he tries to harm one of our own?" asked Kagami furiously,

"They have called me to represent our clan alongwith a small guard detail. I doubt Hashirama will attempt something knowing any action against me means Tobirama dies" said Naruto hesitantly,

"It's a trap. The Damiyo's in on it" spat Takeshi bitterly,

"You cannot ignore a royal summons from the Court. Much less one from the Damiyo himself..." warned Naori,

Naruto somberly stared at the message directed to him and what implications it held for him. He would have assumed Hashirama wanted to negotiate with his Father since Tajima was the clan head and the authority. But it seemed the Senju clan head wanted Naruto to represent his clan since it was he who defeated the Senju and currently held Tobirama captive, and not Tajima.

Or was there some other purpose?

He looked at his aunt who was the politician in their family and even she seemed wary and unable to determine the true motive behind their enemies actions.

"His grace summons you to the Capital. Then you'll go to the Capital"

Naruto's eyes widened and his voice died in his throat as he looked at the person approaching towards him. Despite the situation a wide smile came on his face and breaking all sense of grace he ran towards the person.

"But not alone"

Madara barely managed to make his promise before Naruto had engulfed him in a monstrous bear hug. Being the taller among the two, Madara lifted his sibling in the air earning a loud chuckle from him. He finally managed to calm down his young brother and got a look at him.

Gods, how many years had it been since he last saw the depressed little runt?

He remembered bidding farewell to a young boy only to see a full grown man before him. A man who had proven himself a true Uchiha and was the pride of Madara's eyes.

Naruto also looked at his brother and saw Madara was a few inches taller than him, his frame broader and more muscular than Naruto. His baby fat had melted away and despite being clean shaven, Madara was an intimidating figure with his long shaggy black hair reaching upto his back and onyx black eyes that held the Sharingan in them.

It was hard for Naruto to accept that this man was feared across the elemental nations almost at the same level as Hashirama. Probably even more for while Hashirama was kind, Madara was ruthless.

But then again, Madara had always been just his eldest brother to Naruto. Someone whom he could truly depend upon, a person who had defended him all their lives and stood for him more than anyone else.

And here was his brother again, after all these years ready to protect his sibling in his need of hour.

This man was the reason Naruto had never wavered in his loyalty to the Uchiha for he would rather die than cause Madara any harm. Even if it meant serving those who hated him, but now his brother was back and he could already feel things changing.

Madara's next command to Naori was a proof of that...

 _"Call the army"_


	12. The Trial

**Thank you for the support. Hope you continue it.**

 **Chapter 12**

 **The Trial**

* * *

Tobirama hazily stared in the darkness as he heard the lock click. His cell doors opened and he had to shield his eyes from the sudden invasion of the bright flame torch. It took him a few moments to adjust but when he did, he saw the visitor staring at him impassively.

"Kinslayer..." he spat, but it didn't evoke a single emotion from the Uchiha.

Naruto didn't speak and instead called for a chair which the guards provided quite quickly before bowing out of the cell. He then glanced at the Senju and was satisfied to see his wounds were healing thanks to Naori's aid.

Tobirama would still not be fight worthy for another few weeks, but he wouldn't fall dead either.

"Senju, how is your new accommodation treating you? I hope your stay here has been _comfortable_..." greeted Naruto with his trademark smirk,

"Mocking me, are you?" asked Tobirama with a scowl,

 _"Accurate assessment"_ agreed Naruto with a smile,

When their barbs died down, both Uchiha and Senju glared at each other intensely for several long minutes. The tension was almost breaking the air until Tobirama spoke...

"I underestimated you" admitted the white haired Senju, and was surprised when Naruto nodded.

"You're not the first to do so..." confessed Naruto,

"Why haven't you killed me?" asked Tobirama flatly,

"You know why..."

Tobirama could only think of one reason as to why he was alive and why the Yamanaka as well as the Hatake were still under the control of the Uchiha clan.

" ** _Hashirama._**.." said Tobirama bitterly, knowing what price his brother must have paid for his life.

"You're an _ungrateful bastard_ , you know that?" asked Naruto sarcastically,

"You don't know _anything_ about my family! My life is **_not worth_** the loss it would mean for our clan, it would make the deaths of all those warriors meaningless if the Senju lose control over the Hatake and Yamanaka" said Tobirama seriously,

"Your brother thinks otherwise" pointed Naruto, making Tobirama slam his hands against the strong walls.

 **"He's a fool!"**

The glare he received from Naruto made him shut his mouth and he couldn't help but wonder at the anger that arrived in the Kinslayer's eyes.

"You're lucky, Senju. Your brother is still _alive_ for you to call him a fool, be grateful that you still have family that would give anything for your life. If the situations were reversed..."

Naruto stopped himself abruptly but Tobirama didn't need him to finish what he wanted to say. It was clearly visible in the Uchiha's eyes...

"Your father would have let you die"

At first he thought the Uchiha would either rebuff his claim or remain silent, but Naruto nodded much to Tobirama's surprise.

"Then why fight for such a family? Such a clan?" asked Tobirama curiously,

"For my brother"

Tobirama never saw a shred of doubt in Naruto's eyes. For the first time the Senju could respect his enemy's loyalty; for Tobirama despite his opposition to Hashirama's beliefs would never hesitate to lay down his own life for his siblings.

They both stared at each other knowing they were bitter enemies who would have seen each other dead if it was any other situation.

"Why are you not interrogating me for information?" asked Tobirama seriously,

"It's risky and can shatter your mind leaving you a living corpse. Your brother specifically asked for you to not be harmed in any manner or else the deal was off. We have agreed to those terms" admitted Naruto reluctantly,

"Yet I see in your eyes the desire to kill me..." remarked Tobirama, and clenched his fists when Naruto snarled at him.

'' _You killed my brother!_ Don't mistake this small mercy, Senju. I spared your sister's life in our very first battle, if I had known you bastards were going to kill Izuna I would have **_slaughtered_ ** her. Only then you would feel the pain that I feel everyday..." yelled Naruto furiously,

Tobirama glared at his enemy with twice the anger and hatred.

"I lost _a brother_ that day as well! Your bastard clan killed my brother Kawarama and he was more important than all your brothers. Consider yourself lucky, _Kinslayer_ , for if it was in my hands then _none_ of your siblings or even you would have survived that day!" spat Tobirama viciously,

"Speak like that and I'll **_slit_** your throat right here!" warned Naruto, holding back his hands from grabbing a kunai from his pouch and finishing the deed.

"I'd like to see you try" challenged Tobirama with a smirk,

He watched in satisfaction as Naruto fought with himself, his hatred trying to overpower his sense of reason. In the end, the Uchiha could only sigh bitterly before falling silent.

Tobirama felt his own anger fade on seeing the heartbroken look in Naruto's eyes and he didn't need to be a scientist to imagine what was on the Uchiha's mind.

"You loved Izuna the most in this world, even more than Madara?" suggested Tobirama knowingly,

Naruto's murderous glare was all the confirmation Tobirama needed to know.

"One day I _will_ kill you, Senju" promised Naruto, earning a smirk from the white haired boy.

"Likewise, Uchiha"

Seeing that he was getting nowhere, Naruto got up and was about to exit the cell when Tobirama's question stopped him.

"There is more to you than what you let people see..."

Turning back, Naruto saw Tobirama staring at him intently which was the motivation Tobirama needed to continue further.

"I imagined you to be a mad bastard. But when I saw you, that image shattered. They all call you Kinslayer, a heartless bastard who couldn't remain loyal even to his own people and killed dozens of his family. A monster, but I wonder what kind of monster would _sacrifice himself_ to save a clan who hates his very guts?" questioned Tobirama pointedly,

"I think this cell has made you lose the last of your _sanity_ " chipped Naruto with a playful smirk, but Tobirama's knowing gaze didn't falter.

"Why did you do it?"

Naruto was left speechless by that question. Nobody had dared to question him on his darkest secret, most just assumed him to be a heartless monster while others were too scared to ask it. His family knew his reasons and his friends cared enough about him not to ask.

But Tobirama despite his hatred had seen through the mirage of lies and rumors.

He had seen through Naruto's soul itself.

"Why did you do it?" asked the Senju again,

Naruto clenched his fists as he remembered that fateful night, all those screams, all those who begged him for mercy, that madness and all that blood, most of all he remembered those haunted eyes.

 _"Loyalty"_

Tobirama remained silent pondering over that mysterious answer as the Uchiha walked out of his cell leaving him in darkness.

* * *

Naruto carefully sharpened his new temporary sword with the help of a sharp iron stone. It was tedious work tending to the blade's edge but knowing that it could mean life and death on the battlefield made him do it without any complaint.

Still, this sword was so heavy and cumbersome to move around. If not for his years of experience in sword fighting, he doubted he would have been as effective in the battle against Senjus with this blade.

It made him yearn for **Dawn** even more, the weapon was like a best friend. No matter how many foes stood against him, if he had that sword with him then he could still win no matter the odds.

There was a strange pull that drew him to the blade, every Uchiha no matter how good or bad had handled that sword with great respect. Naruto had always felt some strange connection with the weapon, as if it held some great secret in it and gave him strength in his most dire hour.

Dawn was a _bloodthirsty blood_ , having feasted on the blood of thousands over the eras that passed ever since the First War broke out between the Uchiha's and Senjus. It was a longsword, but still light as a feather, and its steel was coated in chakra that was rumored to be stolen from the _Ten Tails_ by Indra himself in secret.

Naruto could believe all other aspects of the sword except the last one. He had held on to that belief for as long as he could remember until the recent battle with the Senjus...

He could still remember the moment Touka Senju's sword shattered before his own. The Senju woman was wielding a fine steel sword, probably passed down for generations in her family and yet it had shattered like glass. Now that he remembered it, even the Fuma clan head alongwith all his enemies who had wielded great ancestral swords had almost destroyed their ancient weapons when they clashed them against **Dawn**.

It made him hesitantly glance at the fox currently sleeping near him...

"Kurama..."

The fox opened one lazy eye on being called but was forced to open the other one as well when he noticed Naruto's grave expression.

 _"Did the Ten Tails exist?"_

The beast gave him such an intense stare that made Naruto want to flinch but he defied that reaction and stared in his friend's eyes seriously.

 **"Yes. It was a holy tree which wielded the fruit of chakra every few centuries, it was forbidden to be possessed by any human. Until Kaguya Otsutsuki ate it..."**

Naruto listened with rapt attention as Kurama regaled him the tale of the mystery woman whom most today believed to be a myth. The beast told him how Kaguya was not from their world, but some other universe which further added to Naruto's shock. The fox told him of Kaguya's struggles, her eating the fruit, descending into madness, her desire to rule supreme over the world with an iron fist. She became the judge, jury and executioner.

She gave birth to two sons, Hagoromo and Hamura who rebelled against her tyranny in the future. Both brothers had to defeat not only their mother, but also the holy tree that took the form of Ten Tails in order to gain back chakra from humanity.

Kurama recalled the time with a haunted look in his eyes,

 _The War for Dawn._

Kurama told him horrible tales that followed in the war, of never ending nights when the sun was concealed as darkness took hold of the world, of lands submerging into seas, mountains breaking apart like pieces, volcanoes erupting, and most of all the birth of unholy creatures which while looked human but were not. They were something else, and the leader of those creatures was the third **_tainted_ ** son of Kaguya born from her madness and hate.

In the end, the Otsutsuki brothers won and Kaguya alongwith the Juubi were defeated. However, Hamura sacrificed his life in sealing his mother away alongwith the shell of the Juubi in a place that was today known as _Land of Water_. It was a desecrated small continent where no life grew, no people lived and was said to be haunted by the ghosts of all those who died in the war. It was where Kaguya and the Juubi had made their final stand, so devastating was the battle that even today those lands were not suitable for habitation.

Hagoromo divided the spiritual power of the Juubi into nine beasts, the most powerful of whom was Kurama.

"I always knew there were more of you. But you never told me as to what happened to your brothers and sisters..." implored Naruto, and saw great sadness flash in the beast's eyes.

 **"We all scattered across the world to maintain the peace that the Sage wanted, but we failed as war spread everywhere. Men tried to use us for our power forcing my kind to hide, for centuries we remained hidden until one by one all my brothers and sisters vanished. I never heard from them again..."** said Kurama sadly,

Naruto bit his lip wondering as to where his family and **Dawn** fit into the war.

"If this is true, then the Kaguya and Hagoromo clans are our great enemies. Is that why they came for you?" asked Naruto in horror, remembering the night when he and Kurama were attacked by those clans.

Kurama didn't want to speak but his friend's pleading eyes forced him to relent.

 **"Kaguya left behind a few of her illegitimate children who over the centuries grew into the clan you know as Kaguya. They waged war against the Uchihas and Senjus, even managing to influence the Hagoromo minor families to side with them. They both inherited the worst of Kaguya's madness, followed by the Uchiha. You all have her madness running in your veins, it is why the Sage had asked me to watch over the Uchiha"** revealed Kurama,

"Why?" asked Naruto worriedly,

 **"Because it was** _Indra_ **who nearly reanimated the Juubi again in his mad thirst for power. It was he who was about to unleash the apocalypse and trust me boy, if that creature is born again then the world of men shall fall"** warned Kurama,

Naruto tried to keep his shock in check, he knew his people were impulsive, prideful and even arrogant. But they couldn't be mad enough to unleash _that_ monster?

Kurama almost gave him a pitiful look before abruptly walking away, leaving Naruto with even more unanswered questions.

Indra was about to release the Juubi on to the world?

It was impossible for him to believe, but never once had Kurama lied to him. But everything the fox said had bitter seeds of truth hidden in it...

The Kaguya, Hagoromo, Uchiha and Senju were the direct descendants of Kaguya Otsutsuki.

The first two were completely power hungry and lusted for blood just like their female ancestor. While the Uchiha were prone to madness on losing things close to their heart, the Senjus were renowned for their legendary temper which they inherited from Kaguya.

Tajima, Madara and even Naruto himself had always felt there was a point where they would snap and do things no sane human would do.

Kaguya and Hagoromo clans were mad enough that they had made enemies of almost the entire world. But were too strong enough together to be challenged by either Uchiha or Senju. Only together could the descendants of Indra and Ashura alongwith their allies could hope to take on those mad men.

Most of all nobody knew where those two mad clans lived and it was one of the key reasons neither Uchiha or Senju had been able to destroy them completely.

Even kind hearted Hashirama was known to have a dangerous temper, the same trait was almost shared by most of his siblings and family. But comparatively the Senjus were much more sane than the other three great clans that descended from Kaguya.

It made Naruto wonder as to what was the true history of his world.

Kurama had perhaps kept watch over the Uchihas for a very, very long time. But it surely couldn't be just for the fact that Indra tried to revive the Ten Tails? No Uchiha knew even half the history which Kurama just told him, nor did they know any way to revive the Ten Tails.

 _He froze._

Memory after memory flashed before him, image of Dawn, that dark night, that madness, that blood, that fire, those screams.

For every day of his life after that incident, he had wondered the reason behind it.

And now he knew why it all happened.

It filled his heart with unspeakable horror making him dash towards the Yamanaka Castle.

* * *

Madara had been grudgingly going through the Yamanaka clan's finances in order to decide what fines should the Uchiha collect as compensation for the _blonde headed bugger's_ treachery. Frankly, this was more his aunt and if possible his brother's domain and Madara despised paperwork to begin with.

But Naori had simply bonked him on the head, her and his father the only two people having the audacity to do such a thing.

His aunt had reminded him that his brother was thrown out of their family and out of the line of succession, that left Madara as the sole heir of the Uchiha clan. It was imperative he learned how to rule and govern, and not just conquer and plunder.

Naori was also trying to make him interact with the important nobles of the Hatake and Yamanaka clans, but so far Madara had been abysmal in those interactions for those men and women were terrified of his power and barely spoke more than a few words.

At times, he wondered whether he was the right person to lead their clan when his father died.

He was quite strong and there were only a handful who could match his prowess. But apart from battles, Madara had little interest in politics or administration. In fact, he detested that web of lies and treachery preferring to deal with brutal honesty. A fact for which he was repeatedly chastised by his father and aunt, even the elders of their clan.

In his eyes, there was another more suitable for the job.

Thinking of him only made Madara feel incompetent in his role as heir. Naruto was also powerful, cunning, politically skilled and was good at managing things far better than Madara ever could. His brother had all the necessary qualities their people needed from their next clan head, but not only was his brother despised because of his past actions, Naruto was also cast out of the line of succession leaving Madara helpless. But more importantly, his brother had never desired power or shown any interest in ruling which added further to Madara's dismay.

He was actually relieved when the door of their solar was slammed open and his brother marched in. However, Madara's smile faltered when he saw the absolute terrified expression in his brother's eyes.

In a second he was up on his feet startling Naori and quickly approached his younger brother.

"What is it, little brother?" asked Madara worriedly, and didn't miss his brother clenching his fist.

"Where's the ancestral tablet?" demanded Naruto in near panic,

Madara frowned, didn't his brother remember? However, Naruto looked to be on the verge of a mental breakdown until Naori immediately came forward and grabbed him in a fierce motherly hug.

At first the boy protested, but Madara saw his aunt was quite determined and didn't relent which made Naruto finally breathe and sink in her embrace. His brother was still shivering and Madara knew the boy enough that there was only one thing that could reduce his brother to such a panicked state.

Still, he kept his silence watching Naori whisper soothing words in Naruto's ears allowing the boy to calm down. It took a few long minutes, but neither Madara or Naori lost their patience which helped Naruto to calm down. When the boy seemed in control again, he gave Naori a wide grateful smile before kissing her cheeks affectionately earning a smile from her.

Madara felt jealousy course through his heart on seeing the unending love his brother had for their aunt. Granted, she had been like a mother to the boy but it still made Madara feel a little insecure.

It was supposed to be _him and Naruto_ against the entire world, but it seemed that while their years of separation had not shattered their brotherly bond, it had also not been able to prevent another from taking an important place in Naruto's heart.

Yet, Madara kept his silence. He had no particular need for affections from either his aunt or father, he loved and cared for them, but he could fight his own battles as long as he had Naruto by his side. He had to suppress his bloodlust on imagining the situation if the Senjus had killed his last brother.

Gods knew how much restraint it had taken him and repeated pleadings from Naruto to stop Madara from ripping Tobirama apart limb from limb. That Senju had already killed Izuna and now he tried to take Madara's _last_ brother from him?

Madara had never forgiven the Senjus for killing his brothers, he had once shared a friendship with Hashirama which had also gotten destroyed when he learned his friend was in truth the head of the clan that slaughtered his brothers.

He had to agree to negotiate because the Senjus had **Dawn** and even Madara knew the importance of that sword, most of all it was Naruto's pride and for his brother Madara was willing to set his bloodlust aside.

 _Temporarily._

One day he would still have justice against the Senjus for the murder of his brothers and clansmen. But he would wait for the right moment and then...

 _He would kill them all!_

"Madara?"

He saw Naruto staring at him and it did not surprise Madara anymore that his brother always read through his thoughts no matter how much Madara tried to hide them. Madara wished he could say the same regarding his brother...

"You destroyed the Uchiha tablet that night with your own hands. Have you forgotten?" reminded Madara, with a frown and didn't miss Naruto sighing in relief.

Naori checked her nephew's forehead and asked, "Are you alright?"

"Just a bad dream" whispered Naruto, which was enough to pacify Naori but Madara saw through that lie easily and if not for Naruto's pleading gaze he would have called his brother out on that lie.

"Father will be arriving shortly" informed Madara, and saw the nastiest scowl arrive on his brother's face.

"I see"

Madara pretended to not notice the hostility and decided to bring his brother upto speed as to their next move.

"He brings with him a force of 7000 strong men from the Uchiha, Shimura, Aburame, Yuhi, Kurama, Namikaze and other smaller families" revealed Madara,

"That is not our full strength" suggested Naruto, earning a nod from his aunt.

"There is no need to bring all 10,000 of our fighters. Tajima knows what he's doing" she said confidently, and frowned when Naruto snorted insultingly.

"The Damiyo has _15,000_ fighters and the Senjus must have brought a few thousand of their own to the Capital. If conflict starts, then we'll be outnumbered. Has the old man lost his wits?" asked Naruto sarcastically,

" _Careful_ , brother" warned Madara, while he had little love for his father it didn't mean he would allow anyone to disrespect the man, even if it was his own brother.

"Are you defending father? _You?_ **After what he did to me** " said Naruto in disbelief, his accusing eyes staring at Madara with unending fury and disappointment making Naori sigh.

"We respect the position, if not the man" reminded Madara patiently, earning a snarl from his little brother.

"I did _everything_ that was asked of me, and he _promised_ me that things would change between us. But even after all I have done, never once did he write to me or visit me even" said Naruto bitterly, almost taking an aggressive step towards Madara before Naori got in the way placing a restraining hand on his chest.

"He's a clan head, brother. He has many important duties" said Madara hesitantly, and winced when he himself realized how weak that excuse was. And it showed as Naruto stared at him with a clear betrayed look in his eyes.

 _"You've changed, brother"_

Those words hurt Madara more than any blade ever had and the heartbroken look in his brother's eyes made him want to bonk Tajima on the head multiple times for placing him in this ridiculous situation; forced to choose between a father and a brother.

"Madara is only trying to keep the peace in the family. Naruto, he has fought more for you than anyone else" said Naori soothingly, but Naruto's accusing stare didn't relent. In fact, it became downright _**cold.**_

"Have it your way then, brother. But I am taking back what's _mine_ when Father gets here.." snarled Naruto furiously, making Madara sigh.

"Don't do anything stupid, brother. Your reputation is improving, don't ruin it" warned Madara, earning a snort from the younger Uchiha.

"A dragon does not care for the opinion of sheep"

Naori saw Madara's eyebrows twitch which was a blatant warning that the man was about to snap, so she forcefully pushed both boys further away glaring at them both equally.

"Cool off your head, Naruto. You're clearly not having a good day..." she ordered,

"No-"

 _"Now"_

Madara smirked on seeing the little runt squirm under their aunt's gaze before clenching his fists tightly. Naruto glared at his aunt receiving the same gesture from her but in the end he loved or atleast respected her enough to follow through with the order.

"Madara, get back to your paperwork" reminded Naori sternly,

It was Naruto's turn to smirk when he saw the groan that escaped from Madara's lips. Yet his triumph didn't last long as he realized something had changed between him and his brother.

 _There was a distance..._

It was small, but there. He knew Madara still loved him and would protect him, but his brother was slowly being groomed to be more dutiful towards his responsibilities as heir of their clan. Being forced to be more objective than emotional, even if it meant going against Naruto.

He could see it in his brother's eyes that he didn't want it, but it was his duty.

But Naruto was not deterred by that, he had to fight his own battles rather than rely on his brother every single time.

He was a man now, and not the young boy who had needed protection from his brother all those years ago.

So, he gave a cut nod to his brother who returned the gesture with unmasked sadness in his eyes. Exchanging a glance with Naori, he walked out of the room.

* * *

It was evening and almost the entirety of the Uchiha, Hatake and Yamanaka population had assembled before the gates of the settlement.

Naruto dutifully stood beside his aunt and brother, flanked by the members of the Kinsguard as they all patiently waited.

The sound of thousands of footsteps made the ground tremble and Naruto didn't miss the slight shivering of the Yamanaka and he didn't blame them.

For the first man to clear out of the dense forest was riding atop a dark black warhorse. Dressed in blazing Uchiha armor, Tajima Uchiha still made many cower before him.

Naruto coldly stared at the man for whom he had once harbored affection, even love which was transformed into pure loathing over the years. Despite his dark emotions, he still couldn't help but admire the man's power.

Behind Tajima came thousands of the Uchiha bannermen, many holding the flags of their respective clans but it was the _dragon banner_ that was fluttering the most, carried proudly by thousands of Uchiha.

He followed Madara and Naori's lead when they both knelt before their leader, his kinsguard and the remaining population following suit. While everyone had their heads bowed too, Naruto while kneeling never broke eye contact with the man.

There was not a flicker of emotion visible in Tajima's cold eyes which only glanced at him for a moment before nodding as he descended from his horse. Within seconds, the clan head was flanked by his supporters and the elders of the clan.

Naruto didn't miss the sheer loathing in the eyes of the elders, they had all wanted his head on a spike after that night and if not for Madara they would have had it. One glance at their sneering faces zeroing down on him, and he knew.

Tajima brushed past Naori and Madara ignoring them both only to step before his youngest son.

There was no joy, or surprise, or even fury in those cold and lifeless eyes as they motioned him to rise from his feet.

Naruto followed the command making sure his own eyes were the same as his father's.

"You lost Dawn..."

There was a time when those words would have stung, but that time was long gone for Naruto had expected nothing less from this cold man and his equally ambitious advisers.

They would not see why he relinquished their clan's greatest relic, they would not see the victory he brought them, nor would they accept any excuses from him.

"I did" replied Naruto, his voice as cold as ice.

It was Hotaru Uchiha, an elderly woman who stepped forward next. Naruto had not forgotten the fact that he had killed her brother that night earning the name Kinslayer. She had been out for his blood for a very long time, and now she had the chance.

"A vote was called among the clan. As the council represents the voice of the Uchiha people, we have deemed you guilty for deliberately handing over our family heirloom to our sworn enemy. A trial will be held to determine your guilt, and if proven then appropriate punishment shall be awarded" declared Hotaru loudly, earning shocked gasps from his supporters.

Naruto was not surprised having expected something like this, but his father' silence still stung him. This woman was accusing his son in front of their clan and allies, and yet he was silent despite knowing why Naruto had to do what he did.

But then again, the Uchiha people were represented by the Council and unanimously they could call for a vote which the clan head would be forced to pass. It was the only flaw to the rule of Naruto's family, which Tajima was duty bound to uphold.

Still, he was pleased that his friends and all those Uchiha, Hatake, and even Yamanaka whose lives were saved because of his actions were none too pleased. In fact, they looked downright furious but Tajima's cold gaze was enough to make them cower.

Madara and Naori tried to get close to Tajima surely to oppose this farce, but the clan head simply shook his head making them stop.

Naruto's once beating heart turned as cold as ice as he approached his father. Another elder, Itama tried to stop him but was swiftly made to step back when Naruto activated his sharingan glaring down at the man.

Father and son locked gazes with each other, with no emotion present in their eyes.

"I will never receive justice from this farce and I've had enough of this madness. I will not stand in this trial..." declared Naruto, earning outraged shouts from the elders and their hundreds of supporters.

For a moment, Tajima's eyes flickered with pride but it could be Naruto's imagination as he saw the older man glance back at him coldly.

"The law is the law..." announced Tajima,

Naruto smirked before unleashing his sword drawing shocked gasps from majority of the people. Ignoring the outraged cries, he pointed the weapon at his father.

 **"I challenge you to single combat..."**

Stunned silence engulfed the entire crowd at his words, even Tajima blinked looking for the first time a bit startled. He glared at his youngest son for his open defiance warning him to back down, but Naruto didn't.

Tajima was well aware of this law. It could be used by any Uchiha to challenge their leader should they feel they could be a better leader of their clan. But in the strong patriarchal Uchiha society, nobody challenged their betters. Surely, various noble families vied for leadership but they worked from the shadows knowing openly challenging the hierarchy would mean doom for their entire family should they lose.

Naruto was the _first_ to exercise this law and that too against his own father which had the entire clan and their allies alike stunned.

Even Madara had paled and Naori looked ready to faint.

His friends looked at him worriedly but Naruto's gaze was solely fixed on his father.

The elders who were previously confident now looked uncertain for if Naruto won then he would be the new clan head, and they didn't need anyone to tell them what the boy would do to them after all they did to him.

Tajima for all his power and shrewdness knew what his youngest son was capable of. There was a time when he could put down Naruto easily, but it had long since passed.

He was a warrior proven having many victories to his name, even claimed to be the finest swordsman in the elemental nations.

But at the same time if Tajima won, then he would be free to decide Naruto's fate and the young Uchiha doubted it would be anything pleasant. Certainly not after this open defiance, but it was now or never.

"Then I name Madara as my champion" announced Tajima with the tiniest of satisfied smiles,

The Uchiha clan head saw Naruto stagger for the first time as he glanced at his elder brother. There was no doubt Naruto was powerful, but Madara was a totally different beast. Most of all, Naruto would never raise his sword against his brother.

And Tajima knew that.

"Father-" protested Madara, only to have Tajima glare at him coldly.

"That was a _command_ or will you betray me too just like your brother?" asked Tajima with the barest of hope visible in his eyes.

Naruto's heart broke on seeing so much hope and pride that his father had in his eyes for Madara. It was enough to make him see that nothing he would do would ever be enough for this man. At the same time, Tajima had not only ordered but requested his eldest son to remain loyal.

Glancing at the crowd, Naruto saw they were all looking at Madara anxiously. If his brother refused, then it would not only undermine their father but also make Madara unpopular. It could also endanger their family's rule over the clan and Naruto knew the elders and lesser noble families would exploit this incident to create further divide.

"I accept"

Madara watched in horror as those words escaped from his brother's lips. He wished it were his imagination, wished so badly for Naruto to set aside his acceptance, but his brother stared back at him with sadness but determination ever present in his eyes.

Their painful silence allowed Tajima to step forward and glance at the crowd...

 _"May the gods let the true dragon win"_


	13. A Dragon Has Claws

**Thank you for the support. Hope you continue it.**

 **Music recommendation for the chapter: Peter Roe: This Is My World (You can find it on Youtube, play it during the battle. Maybe you'll like it just as I did while writing it)**

 **Chapter 13**

 **A Dragon Has Claws**

* * *

Mikoto as well as the rest of the Kinsguard stared at their leader who was seated in a corner sharpening his twin swords. There was not an ounce of emotion present on Naruto's face and his gaze was solely fixed on the weapons he would be carrying into battle.

A battle against his own brother.

Everyone knew how much Naruto loved his brother, but to think those same brothers would be at each other's throats in a matter of minutes...

"Naruto, it's still not too late" advised Kagami,

"It's a deathmatch" warned Takeshi worriedly,

"You're strong, but Madara is more powerful than you. Lord Commander, your brother will use more than swords against you..." cautioned Itachi,

At that, Naruto finally looked up and saw the fear ever present in their eyes.

"I am not killing my brother no matter what the law says" he promised,

"So you want to die instead?" asked Mikoto furiously, making him smile.

"I never said that" he pointed,

"Are you not afraid?" asked Mikoto worriedly, and was relieved when it made him pause. She watched him stare at his twin swords and even if he was the finest swordsman she had ever seen, her heart feared for his life.

He finally got up on his feet and walked towards them. Dressed in his golden armor with twin fine swords at his sides, he was a formidable opponent to glance at. But the one he was going up against was just as good, if not better.

Stopping before his friends, he stared at them seriously.

"Every man is afraid before going into battle. I am no different" confessed Naruto,

"If it looks like you're in trouble, call for us. _We will answer_..." promised Shisui, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder making Naruto smile.

They all were still amazed that in a matter of two hours all the preparations had been made. The Yamanakas had an old training ground in the forest that would serve as the battlefield for the upcoming combat.

Almost every person was going to be there, a conflict which could possibly be remembered for a thousand years.

Just like Indra and Ashura's was till this day.

Not only were the two fighters the strongest Uchiha of their generation but also the finest warriors of the world. They were also the only sharingan wielders the Uchiha had ever produced in hundreds of years.

Ever since the sharingan was awakened and the two brothers continued their exploits over the years, it was always a point of contention as to who was stronger among them.

Madara had many victories to his name, the most notable being defeating the entire Aburame clan in single combat on his own.

While Naruto was proclaimed to be the finest swordsman of this generation of ninja warriors. He defeated the Fuma Clan in single combat with his fox, and was also responsible for victories against the Senju and Yamanaka clans.

"If I fall, then you all shall pledge your loyalty to my brother. _Promise me_ " he insisted,

"And if you win?" asked Itachi calmly, much to the relief of the others because they could not have given Naruto that promise. Certainly not if Madara killed him today.

"Then seize the elders and all who try to stop you" he instructed, earning nods from his friends.

He saw Mikoto was resisting the urge to grab him and not let go, but he discreetly pointed her towards her brother's presence which made her reluctantly back down. With one final parting, he departed from the room and saw Kurama waiting for him outside.

 **"You ready?"** asked the fox nonchalantly,

"As ready as I can ever be for something like this" replied Naruto calmly,

Kurama despite the situation gave him an amused grin.

 **"Then go out there and kick his ass"** ordered the fox,

"So sure I can win?" asked Naruto amusedly, a smile arriving at his lips.

 **"Yes"**

Naruto gave a respectful nod at the faith his friend was placing him in. Kurama had even offered to fight alongside him, but he had refused. Not only was it against the rules, but Naruto wanted to fight his brother himself.

All his life he had followed in Madara's shadow, now was the time to step out of it and become the man Shizuka had suggested him to be.

With that determination, he walked away ready to face the most important battle of his life.

* * *

 **(Stands)**

Tajima and Naori were seated in an elevated stand specifically built for the clan heads and important nobles. The rest of their clansmen and civilians had taken position across the field, while a few Yamanaka guards had erected a barrier dome that would prevent any attacks from hitting the audience and bar anyone from disrupting the match.

Around Tajima sat all the clan heads of every allied clan including the likes of Sakumo Hatake, Shin Aburame, Saeko Kurama, Rei Namikaze and many more. Everyone's eyes were fixed on Madara's form standing inside the barrier.

Tajima glanced at his eldest son dressed in bronze armor carrying his traditional gunbai on his back and a sword on his hip. He looked fierce and dangerous.

And then the other side of the barrier opened as a figure walked in.

Naori didn't miss the various clan heads staring in surprise and even awe as they saw _The Young Dragon_ in all his glory. Dressed in his familiar golden armor bearing the mark of a roaring dragon on his chest and the Uchiha symbol on his back. Twin swords rested on his hips and a dark black cloak fluttered behind him as he walked. His usual masked face was today open for everyone to see.

She didn't miss Tajima staring at his youngest son quite intently as if he saw something he had never seen before.

Naori couldn't blame him...

While Madara looked dangerous and fierce, Naruto looked calm and there was something regal about him. Maybe it was his shining armor or his composed face, it made him _glow_.

Most of all it was the way he walked that made it clear that he was not afraid of facing his opponent.

There was a loud cheer from the civilian and many Uchihas even, much to Tajima and the elders surprise. Apparently, those people had not forgotten what Naruto had risked and sacrificed to save their lives. Even a few Yamanaka rooted for him albeit in a reserved manner, while the Hatake were quite open in their support.

Their clan and most ninjas might hate the boy, however Naori knew for a fact that across the civilian population of the Land of Fire her nephew was quite popular. It might be because of the fact that whenever he was free over the past decade, he would defend every civilian who asked for his aide against bandits, rogue ninjas or thieves. Most of all, he never took a single charge for his services.

Among those poor and impoverished families who had no say in the politics of great clans but suffered all the same, Naruto Uchiha was a breath of fresh air. For them he was like the _Samurai_ from the old days who fought with honor and defended the weak.

Despite all that had happened in his life, Naruto still tried to live his life by performing his duty not just to his clan but innocents alike with honor and dedication.

"My,my, he's quite handsome" commented Rei Namikaze cheerfully, the young clan heiress staring at Naruto with quite a lustful look in her eye.

"Maybe. But his brother can pummel him and his shining armor easily" said Saeko Kurama skeptically,

Naori smirked but kept her silence at that last statement. She didn't know the outcome of this fight, but she did know two things.

The first being the fact that neither of these two boys were going to kill each other despite popular expectation.

Second, they were all in for quite a surprise.

* * *

 **(Arena)**

Naruto stepped before his elder brother who nodded at him respectfully, even so Madara's reluctance for the upcoming battle was clear to see. Naruto on the other hand was determined to prove himself.

"Brother" greeted Madara,

"You ready?" asked Naruto calmly, making Madara sigh.

"It's still not too late, brother. Bend the knee and let the trial happen, we'll squash it easily just like before" promised Madara sincerely,

For a moment he was so sure Naruto would do so, instead his brother smiled at him.

"My knees do not bend easily, Madara"

Those words had said all Madara needed to learn, if that was not enough the iron clad determination in Naruto's eyes was enough to make him see the boy was not going to back down.

"Very well" relented Madara, earning a smile from Naruto.

"I wish you good luck, Madara"

It earned a sly grin from the elder Uchiha as his right hand gripped the hilt of his sword, while the left grasped the gunbai on his back. Before Madara could even unleash his weapons, in the blink of an eye Naruto's hands grasped the hilts of his swords and a second later the shining weapons were unleashed for all to see.

And so was Naruto's sharingan as all playfulness disappeared from his eyes.

 _"Now it begins..."_ proposed Naruto calmly,

Madara closed his eyes releasing a final sigh before he unleashed his own weapons and when he opened his eyes again they stared back at his brother with a fully evolved sharingan that displayed nothing but determination and confidence.

 **"Now it ends,** _little brother_ " promised Madara,

The next second two killing auras engulfed the entire forest.

* * *

(Stands)

The clan heads flinched when the monstrosity that was the killing intent was unleashed by the brothers. It was so thick that it felt as if the air itself was made to bow before them. Dozens of civilians already fell unconscious and so did the weaker ninjas, even the stronger ones felt quite uncomfortable in the presence of that power.

Naori did not miss Tajima brim with pride on seeing the effect his sons had and the match had only just began. Their allies who were previously considering the two as boys now realized they were grown men instead.

Madara's killing intent was like a raging tsunami threatening to consume everyone and everything that came in its way. Naori found it quite fitting.

On the other hand, Naruto's killing intent was completely focused like a sword.

 _Strong, precise and deadly._

What surprised her and everyone else was the fact that Naruto was being able to match his brother's power, even Madara seemed surprised. Naori had always known Madara was a power house, but if the account of the Kinsguard members were to be considered, Naruto had not yet unleashed his full power in any battles till now.

She had a feeling that claim was about to be laid to rest.

"So this is _The Young Dragon..._ " commented Shin Aburame quietly,

"It remains to be seen whether _pretty boy_ can match up in skill and quick thinking..." advised Shimura Tobi coldly, while the Shimura clan had always been the most loyal bannermen of the Uchiha, their ruthlessness was greater than those of the dragon descendants.

"Indeed" agreed the other clan heads, earning reluctant nod from the Uchiha elders.

Naori could not help but smirk on seeing those fools losing some of that overconfidence now that they realized Naruto was no longer the weak boy anymore.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw movement that caught her attention.

Naruto's most loyal and trusted friend discreetly stepped towards the stands. Shisui's face did not betray any emotions, but Naori did not miss the fact that he was fully armed and armored. So was the rest of the Kinsguard and they all specifically took positions near the seats of the Uchiha elders.

The elders actually looked quite relieved on seeing Shisui's presence. Just like them, Shisui belonged from an important Uchiha noble family and while his father did not sit on the elder's council he did wield quite a lot of influence. More than that, Shisui was the second most skilled swordsman in the Kinsguard, according to some even in the Land of Fire.

 _The Morning Star._

It was the name bestowed on Shisui after he repeatedly helped Naruto defend the civilians of the Land of Fire from those who wished to harm them. He carried with him the ancestral sword of his family, **Fury**. And he was considered the most noble, honorable and chivalrous member of the Kinsguard.

Now that Naori thought about it each of the Kinsguard had earned famous names for themselves after their exploits with Naruto over the past decade.

 **Takeshi: The Defiant** , for his wild and fierce nature. He was also the most stubborn and hot-headed member of the Kinsguard who always refused to accept defeat under any circumstances.

 **Itachi: The Silent Shadow** , for his unflinching loyalty and uncanny ability to remain by Naruto's side most of the time.

 **Kagami: The Gallant** , for his unwavering courage to face his enemies no matter how outnumbered or outgunned. It was said no man including Naruto himself could match Kagami's Taijutsu prowess.

 **Mikoto: The Dark Sister,** some claimed the name was bestowed on the girl for her dark raven locks and smoldering looks. Others said it was because of the fact that Naruto cared for her as the sister he never had in his life, but Naori knew that was not the case. Even if her nephew tried to hide it, Naori knew there was something primal existing between the boy and Mikoto. The daughter of a common servant, Mikoto and her brother Takeshi were raised as warriors by Naruto himself. They both were quite fine swordsmen and utterly loyal to Naruto till the end.

 **Shisui: The Morning Star,** a brother to Naruto in all but blood. The closest warrior who could claim to match Naruto's swordsmanship and the one whom Naruto trusted most.

The Kinsguard was actually quite respected by allies and foes alike for they were the strongest Uchiha's of their generation. The only thing that kept them from becoming legendary in the clan was their loyalty to Naruto who was despised. But never had that fact bothered any of them.

 _They are all good men and women. Loyal and courageous._

Naori could not help but brim with pride on knowing that Naruto had gained their loyalty on his own merit and with his kindness. While Madara was loved by the entire clan, Naori had a feeling the support and love of these five was everything Naruto could ask for.

 _And they were here for him._

* * *

(Arena)

Naruto watched his brother chuckle as a dark grin arrived on his face on seeing Naruto actually able to match his power. It was a well known fact that Madara loved battles to the point that he lived for them. But usually, there were barely a handful warriors who could match Madara's powers and expectations. Hashirama Senju was the best and it was why Madara never missed any chance to fight his former friend.

For over a decade, Madara had heard tales of his brother's exploits and skills. Now, he could see the first signs of the fact that those tales were not exaggerated.

He made a hand seal creating five identical shadow clones, all of them wielding a sword and a gunbai. Wordlessly, they all charged towards Naruto.

Madara saw his brother neither smiled or tensed, he simply raised his swords coating them in chakra. The look in his eyes was enough to wipe out Madara's excitement a little to be replaced by caution.

He watched Naruto move both his swords in opposite horizontal slashes in open air.

Madara frowned, had his brother lost his mind or was this some sort of joke?

His eyes however widened when each and everyone of his shadow clones were shredded before his eyes. It was as if they were struck by the air itself and simply vanished. But Madara had seen the real truth with his sharingan...

 _Those swords...he used them to manipulate wind chakra itself._

For the first time Madara realized this battle would not be so easy after all. Watching his brother rotate those common swords in his hands made him pause. If Naruto was this deadly with them, then Madara could only imagine his brother's power if he had **Dawn** in his hands right now.

Many said his brother was the finest swordsman of their world, Madara wanted to see the fact by pitting his clones against his brother. Naruto had given his answer to that insult by tearing those clones apart before they could reach anywhere near him.

Madara finally stepped forward himself and grasped his weapons. Genjutsu was not an option in this fight since they both had the Sharingan which could neutralize or see through any deceptions of that kind.

It was purely a match of _Power V/s skill._

Madara took in a deep breath before unleashing a massive stream of fire towards his brother. With his left hand, he swinged his gunbai adding a large amount of wind that channeled the flames far and wide.

Naruto quickly stabbed one of his swords in the ground and the next second water erupted from the soil like a tornado clashing straight into the path of the raging flames.

Before Madara could plan on his next move, his sharingan reacted and he moved just in time as a dangerous bolt of lightning tore through the raging fire and water attacks going directly for him. If not for his sharingan and quick reflexes he would have been electrocuted.

He had to keep on moving and dodging as more and more lightning bolts tried to strike him. The initial attack of fire he had launched was now consumed by the water and there was a healthy amount of that liquid now present in the arena.

Knowing his brother and his affinity with water, Madara knew he had to stay well clear from the substance for Naruto could use it to attack and defend at the same time.

Deciding to take the fight directly to the boy, Madara charged forward.

More and more lightning bolts tried to strike him but they were too slow as Madara evaded them with ease and soon enough reached the attacker himself. Realizing the danger, Naruto immediately brought his twin swords forward.

Madara grinned as he again slashed his gunbai sending a lethal wind wave that would have torn the armor and clothing of any other warrior thereby giving them grave wounds. Instead, Naruto adjusted his footing and his golden armor that was gifted by Madara himself protected him from the attack quite easily much to Madara's frustration.

Still, he did not lose heart and attacked his brother.

The first time Madara's sword made contact with Naruto's, his brother pretended to push for control making Madara dig in his feet firmly only to have Naruto twist himself to the right side bringing his other sword right towards Madara's ribs. Only the intervention of the gunbai at the last second stopped that attack but nonetheless the weapon was destroyed.

Madara quickly jumped away creating some distance from his opponent and glanced at him warily.

Those swords of his were heavy and yet Naruto moved so quickly without any effort. It was a display of pure skill, more than that he almost managed to fool Madara.

"You're good" praised Madara,

 _"I'm just getting started"_

And then Naruto attacked.

* * *

 **(Stands)**

Tajima had never once in his life seen Madara being pushed back so fiercely by anyone other than Hashirama Senju. Yet his experienced eyes were showing him the difference quite clearly.

He watched Madara roar before charging in with full force, his eldest son brought down the full power of his weapon as bright sparks flew. Madara first tried to get a swipe at Naruto's chest only to be easily blocked by the other Uchiha's blade. Naruto used that deadlock to take a swipe of his own at Madara which was swiftly blocked by Madara's metal protected arm.

Naruto smirked.

The sword which the younger boy had in a deadlock with Madara's own blade pushed. Madara had to again brace himself as he now had to keep two swords at bay which left another opening in his stance.

Naruto's right leg twisted forward instantly and snaked itself around Madara's ankle, before Madara could wrench it free it was twisted making the older Uchiha wince and that momentary bout of pain allowed Naruto to smack his sword brutally across Madara's chest plate leaving a nasty dent.

Madara had no choice but to again create some distance between them.

"He's better than Madara..." said Shin Aburame in surprise,

"Far better..." praised Naori proudly with a smile,

Tajima knew his eldest son enough to know that Madara was not one to back down from a worthy challenger. And Naruto had just provoked the dragon inside the elder boy.

Madara's hands flew through a rapid set of hand seals which made Tajima tense for he knew this move...

 **"Fire Style: Great Fire Annihilation!"**

A wave of fire was unleashed from Madara's mouth which spanned the entire area of the arena and even high enough to reach the ceiling. There was no place left to hide from this attack leaving Naruto no choice but to counter.

"He has larger chakra reserves which he wants to use to tire out his brother" deduced Shin Aburame, proving his tactical prowess. He could personally attest to the fact that Madara had monstrous chakra reserves, a fact he clearly displayed when he defeated Shin and his entire clan alone.

"How thoughtful of Madara. I have never seen him think so much in a fight before..." commented Tobi Shimura,

"His opponent is not someone who relies on brute strength. He is faster, sharper, and more cunning. As long as Naruto has a sword in his hand I doubt Madara can win. Better to tire out the boy before finishing him off, a sound tactic" agreed Rei Namikaze, receiving consenting nods from the other clan heads.

Naori didn't made her opinion known, a fact which was not missed by Tajima. Knowing how close she was to Naruto, he had a feeling she would have defended her favorite nephew. Instead, she remained silent and stared knowingly at Naruto making Tajima glance at his youngest child.

He watched Naruto start rotating his twin swords at unbelievable speeds and to his surprise the lake of water that was previously created by the boy had its water now being drawn towards those swords. Clearly the boy had planned his moved quite ahead knowing Madara would overwhelm him with superior power.

Now, the water had taken the form of churning tornado that was swirling around Naruto's swords. It was a sheer testament to his control over water style that not only he was controlling so much of that liquid but had actually managed to give it a shape binding it around his swords that too in the face of an incoming massive fire tsunami attack.

 _"So, this is the famous Young Dragon..."_ thought Tajima,

Despite their differences, even Tajima could not deny that Naruto was highly skilled not just with Kenjutsu but also Ninjutsu.

The fire tsunami was now a few feet away from him and the boy brought his swords forward bringing with them the churning tornado of water.

Tajima knew that the water attack was not enough to defeat Madara's powerful jutsu, but it was enough to create a small enough hole which Naruto used to pass through the fire. The boy kept on rotating his swords making the tornado of water act as a shield against the raging fire and when he was clear of the attack...

* * *

 **(Arena)**

Naruto brought his swords forward unleashin those two tornado straight at a stunned Madara.

 **"Water Style: Twin Dragons!"**

In a second, the tornado changed form to take the shape of two massive water dragons that charged madly towards Madara. Acting on his feet, the elder Uchiha quickly performed a set of hand seals and slammed on the ground.

 **"Earth Style: Earth Wall"**

The water dragons crashed against the giant wall with full force but it didn't crack because Madara had placed quite a lot of chakra to keep it strong and firm. Combine that with the fact that earth trumped water, the dragons were vanquished and broke apart.

But they had given Naruto the time he needed.

Madara grimaced when he saw two chakra coated blades slice his earthen wall cleanly. Already it was weakened by fending off the water dragons leaving them powerless against the force that was Naruto.

And now his brother had what he wanted.

 _Close combat._

Madara raised his sword as his brother approached towards him and was alarmed when Naruto grinned.

 **"Surprise"**

Bolts of lightning shot out of his swords instantly and being in close proximity left Madara little room to maneuver. He bit back his scream as lightning coursed through his body paralyzing quite a few chakra nodes.

 _You want to take my chakra reserves away from me, brother._

Madara had fought many opponents, including Hashirama himself. But this was the first time he came across a warrior like his brother. Madara was used to fighting full blown battles where power was everything and that he had in spades. Even Hashirama fought him quite openly...

But Naruto was not allowing that. His brother still fought fairly without the aid of trickery, but he refused to be bulled down in a power battle against Madara. Instead, the boy had his own fighting style which was far more refined and precise.

A fact Madara had to begrudgingly acknowledge as he raised his sword enduring the shock his body just suffered, because his brother pressed forward.

Madara's nerves were still recovering from the brutal shock leaving him slow in his defense.

Naruto exploited that weakness fully.

Madara parried a blow aimed at his armpits only to have to react more quickly to stop another blow aimed for his neck. In between he had to be wary of Naruto attacking him with his feet. The only thing keeping Madara standing was the raw force of his attacks that protected him and denied his brother any gains.

Still, Naruto didn't relent because he knew sooner or later there would come an opening.

So, he pushed and pushed making Madara fall back and back.

Oblivious to their surroundings, the two brothers failed to recognize the shock of the crowd and that of the clan heads. To their surprise and prior expectations of Madara winning the fight easily, the elder Uchiha was actually being pushed back to the point where he was pouring in every ounce of his power.

Naruto on the other hand was yet to make any major gains in the fight but he was patient and focused. As time went on his attacks became even more precise and too fast to deflect. The increasing number of minor cuts on Madara's body a proof of that.

The boys were at a stalemate, until...

Naruto furiously brought down his twin swords right above Madara's head making the elder Uchiha raise his own sword. Madara winced and sank down to one knee from the force of his brother's attack and while he managed to save his head, it left him wide open for a solid kick that connected right across his face.

Madara's pain made his grip on his sword falter and Naruto used that moment to break through that defense carving through his brother's armor like a knife through brother. Blood erupted and splattered across his golden armor as Madara was sent crashing away.

Most would have thought this to be the end, but Naruto knew how strong his brother was. More than that, Madara was a stubborn and prideful man so he quickly moved forward to gain advantage.

He realized his mistake when Madara twisted himself so that his legs entwined with Naruto's and he made Naruto regret the mistake by toppling him flat across the ground.

Naruto was too slow to react as Madara grabbed a kunai from his pouch before plunging it deep into Naruto's thigh. They both then scrambled away from each other and looked at each other.

Madara was sporting a busted lip and a swollen eye alongwith the minor cuts across his body. The man's armor was destroyed leaving him in nothing but his clan battle attire.

While Naruto was bleeding heavily from his thigh and he could feel his ankle was twisted. Plus all that amount of chakra concentration had given him a mild headache.

Still, they both grinned at each other as if some personal joke had passed between them.

Until Naruto's grin disappeared to be replaced by a murderous glare. One which Madara masked with his own...

And that was when...

 _All hell broke loose_

* * *

 **(Stands)**

Everyone including the crowd, ninjas, civilians, clan heads, and Uchiha elders alike were stunned when the barrier suddenly disappeared as the Yamanaka maintaining it backed away.

And then they all saw the cold fury in Naruto's eyes...

Before anybody could react, the Kinsguard saw their leader give the nod they were waiting for and without wasting a second they moved in.

The Uchiha elders gasped and screamed when they were forcefully seized by the fully armed and armored Kinsguard. Because they had not expected a fight none of them came armed which left them completely open to be captured.

"Tajima-sama, what is the meaning of this?" yelled Hotaru furiously, only to have the clan head not even look at her.

"Naori-sama, order them to unhand us this moment!" demanded Itami Uchiha, but Naori simply sipped her wine with a cold smirk.

By now the three elders were in full blown panic and the crowd was too stunned.

It was then Naruto and Madara approached the stands and went towards the three elders. There were a few more of the elders who had fortunately died either in battles or through natural cause during the past decade. Naruto was thankful for that because one of the elders had been Itachi's father, but the man was long since dead much to his relief.

But these three had always demanded his head...

When he stepped before them his eyes were as cold as the winter ice and as furious as the blazing fire. He doubted Madara looked any different...

"My father taught me it is treason to raise your sword against your liege lord and his family..." said Naruto darkly,

"And you abused your power to wrongfully frame _my brother, my family_ " declared Madara murderously,

Ayato Uchiha: The cripple, snarled at that accusation and looked at Naruto furiously.

"He handed our clan's most prized heirloom on a silver platter to the Senjus. He deserved to be punished" snarled the old man,

"And it got us victory against the Senju despite the heavy odds. It saved the lives of all these Hatake and Yamanaka here, or is the Uchiha _pride_ more important than the _lives_ of our own clansmen and allies alike?" demanded Madara harshly,

The elders glanced at the said people and saw for the first time the hate and bitterness in their eyes for their decision to accuse Naruto.

Madara then glanced at the other clan heads and saw even they were quite relived that Naruto chose to save lives rather than protect his clan's pride. It could have been any of their own people instead of the Hatake or Yamanaka, and knowing Naruto would place their lives above his pride was an assurance they would definitely need if they were to remain loyal to the Uchiha and fight for them.

Unfortunately, the elders had a few points left to say.

"Maybe, but Naruto Uchiha is **_not_** a part of your family. He's just a _common fighter_ of our clan who is forbidden from any lands, titles, family or even succeeding your father. Tajima-sama himself **_banished_ ** him and we are not going against our liege lord by accusing someone who is **_not_** his family anymore" pointed Hotaru Uchiha confidently,

Her shock was now replaced by a smug smile and she moved to look at Tajima for the confirmation. Gods knew the old man hated his youngest son which had made them make this move in the first place.

In her ignorance she missed the murderous rage that arrived in Madara and Naori's eyes on that remark.

 _"I don't remember giving such an order"_ said Tajima calmly, ignoring the shocked and betrayed looks of the elders and the smug grins of his sons and his sister.

"But you-" spluttered Hotaru in horror, and flinched when Tajima's eyes glared down at her.

"Is there _any proof?_ Any written document that proves that I actually gave the order?" asked Tajima, as he got up from his chair and walked towards his sons before placing his hands on their shoulders.

"It's your word against our Father's. And frankly your word means **_shit_** to me. If anybody has any objections speak now" commanded Madara, glaring right at the clan heads and all Uchihas in the area.

He smirked when they all quickly nodded their support adding the final nail in the coffin. Madara doubted after that match and seeing what he and his brother were capable of these allies would risk their necks for three old Uchiha with grudges.

"You tricked us..." accused all three elders in unison glaring bloody murder at Tajima,

Naruto saw the pure fury that arrived in his father's eyes and winced as Tajima's hand on his shoulder become rock solid.

 **"HE IS MY SON!"** thundered Tajima, making nearly every person in the area flinch.

The Uchiha clan head turned towards them all and looked them all right in the eye.

"Today, before you all I confirm again that Naruto Uchiha is _my son, my heir, and your liege lord_ should Madara and I both fall"

At first heavy silence prevailed in the air before Tobi Shimura got up from his chair. Naruto tensed when the man unleashed his sword, it was a known fact that the Shimura clan was their most loyal ally and they proved that again when Tobi knelt and placed his sword at Naruto's feet.

 **"THE YOUNG DRAGON!"**

All the Shimura clan fighters were quick to follow their leader as they too knelt and pledged their swords. Following them soon enough were the Namikaze, Hatake, Yamanaka, Kurama, Aburame, and Yuhi clan heads alongwith all their fighters.

Naori joined her brother and her nephews as the entire area erupted with a fierce cry...

 _ **"The Young Dragon!"**_

 _ **"The Young Dragon!"**_

 _ **"The Young Dragon!"**_

Madara couldn't help but smile widely on seeing the sight before his very eyes. More than that, he was happy to witness the moment when their father raised Naruto's hand acknowledging the fealty of their allies even as a lone tear slipped from Naruto's eyes.

Naori saw for her family united for the first time in nearly a decade. Watching Tajima standing there flanked by his sons and their allies standing united now more than ever was not something she would ever forget.

Nor could she ever forget just how her brother had pulled this masterplan off...

* * *

 **(Few Hours Earlier)**

Tajima sat in the solar of the former Yamanaka head ignoring his sister restlessly pacing across the room. She had tried everything from pleading to threatening him to call off the battle that was about to happen.

Yet he had simply listened without saying another word and let her rant.

But he did raise an eyebrow when the door of the solar was bashed open and a murderous Madara walked in, followed by an equally determined but reserved Naruto.

"Took their time" thought Tajima amusedly,

Tajima got up from his chair wordlessly and walked towards his sons. He stepped before them both and looked at them closely.

In Madara, he saw himself. Only more fiercer and bolder.

And in Naruto, he saw his dead wife. Her fire, her beauty, her power and his own cunning.

Naori gasped in shock when Tajima moved forward and engulfed both his sons in a fierce embrace. She had never in her life seen her brother display so much emotion after his wife died, even the two boys were stunned.

When Tajima finally broke the hug, he smiled on seeing the gaping faces of his sons.

Ignoring his eldest, he stepped before his youngest and grasped his cheeks gently. There were so many emotions passing through the boy's heart: anger, betrayal, determination and his ever present sadness.

"I am proud of you, my son"

Naruto staggered on hearing those words from this man. Was this a dream or was he seeing true pride for him in his Father's eyes?

"What?" snapped Naruto, making Tajima chuckle which further stunned his family.

"I told you once that I would make this right. I keep my promises, just like you keep yours" advised Tajima,

"By pitting us brothers against each other? Father, you're almost on the verge of tearing this family apart" yelled Madara furiously, but was further shocked when Tajima didn't even glance at him.

Instead, his father was intently looking at Naruto and the boy was staring right back. Even Naori didn't know what was going on, but she had a feeling there was something to this which only Tajima and Naruto knew anything about.

"For the sake of my mother, I give you five minutes. Come clean, or I promise to **_rip_** this clan apart for I will not stand against these injustices anymore" warned Naruto, yet Tajima smiled nostalgically at him.

"You've grown into a man"

Naruto fought back the wave of joy that wanted to overwhelm his heart on seeing and hearing his father praise him. Despite all their bitterness, all his life he had _craved_ for this.

To be acknowledged just like his brothers had, to be looked at the same way as Tajima did with Madara.

"You did all I asked of you. You defended this clan and our allies against our enemies, you got me the alliance of two great and ancient noble clans. You turned a bitter defeat into an impossible victory, that is more than I could ever ask from you" explained Tajima honestly,

"But you just _accused_ me of losing **Dawn** " replied Naruto frostily,

What he heard next would be something he would never forget for the rest of his life.

 _"Fuck the sword''_

The boys stared at him as if he had lost all senses and Tajima couldn't blame them. His actions, and most of all his silence all these years had sent quite the opposite message than the one he was saying now. Even Naori could not understand what he had been upto the past ten years.

"You're angry with me" stated Tajima, and his youngest son never flinched at that statement.

"I am"

"With reason" admitted Tajima,

He didn't even bat an eye when Naruto growled before grabbing his shoulders and brutally slammed him against the wall. Madara and Naori moved to intervene but Tajima stopped them by shaking his head. Instead he stared in those Sharingan eyes and could feel the sea of anger in the boy's heart.

 _"Why?"_

That one word was laced with so much pain that it threatened to choke Tajima's breath but he steeled himself knowing this day was long coming.

 _"To protect you"_ he confessed,

Naruto didn't hesitate as he forced his sharingan to pierce through his father's mind. He was not gentle and ripped through the initial memories in search of what he was looking for: the days after he left the Uchiha and his father behind to serve his punishment.

And what he saw made his heart stop.

 _He saw memories of his father staving off the elders's demand for executing Naruto every month, he saw Tajima putting down three minor rebellions in the clan before they even acted, he saw Tajima's trusted aide choke on his own blood and die before the clan head as he tasted the food before Tajima did, he saw Tajima watching from the shadows as the elders and lesser noble families plotted against him and his entire family._

It was no secret that were many powerful families who wanted to depose Naruto's own family from leadership, that movement had certainly increased ten fold after he earned the name Kinslayer.

And they were getting bolder and bolder...

 _He saw his father repeatedly checking the messengers and summoning creatures when they delivered his messages from Naori and Naruto. Despite all the victories, Tajima never showed any appreciation in public or risk aggravating the rebels further but he also saw the old man smiling and gingerly caressing those letters._

 _He saw the meeting when the elders finally called the motion to demand a trial for Naruto losing Dawn, and while Tajima had no way to oppose Naruto felt the mad fury that overtook his father's heart._

 _Yet he remained silent, but the hatred in his heart was insatiable now._

He finally moved out of his father's mind and saw the man staring at him with sadness and guilt present in his eyes.

" _Why_ didn't you tell me?" whispered Naruto,

"It's a father's responsibility to protect his children. Not the other way around..." admonished Tajima, but not unkindly.

"What are you two talking about?" asked Madara irritatedly,

Naori came forward and laid a hand on her brother's shoulder staring at him pleading eyes.

"What have you kept hidden from me, brother?"

Naruto clenched his fists as he tried to accept what he just saw. Those vultures had been circling his family all this time, at first they tried to take them down from the shadows and when that didn't work they were now coming out in open rebellion.

And his father had battled against them all surviving rebellions, assassination, plotting and what not.

What hurt more was the man had to do it all alone while his family remained oblivious. But then again, Tajima was never one to show weakness to anyone, even to his own family.

Staring at his brother and aunt, Naruto knew he had to tell them what he saw.

And he did just that.

When he finished, the madness that came in Madara's eyes and the anger in Naori's eyes scared him. _They wanted blood..._

 **"THOSE BASTARDS! I'LL KILL THEM ALL!"** roared Madara, turning around to march down and kill every last one of them.

"Then there will be _two Kinslayers_ instead of one, brother" warned Naruto,

"You want us to do nothing?" asked Naori angrily, but still looked more in control than Madara who was on the verge of slaughtering an entire village.

Naruto silently walked towards the lone window in the room and stared at the Yamanaka settlement. Thinking about what his father had faced all these years made him _shudder_. Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined things were so bad at home.

To think, there was an open rebellion going on in the shadows in his clan for almost a decade...

He glanced at his father and could not help but wonder how he handled this calamity all this time on his own. No one knew the truth, not their enemies, allies or even their own family until the elders decided to come out in the open.

"This is not about **Dawn**. It's about me... _about us_ " whispered Naruto,

"They want to bring us all down" realized Naori,

"If I had showed you my affection and pride in any form, then we would be having a full blown civil war which would leave us broken. Then the Senjus would just have to pick up the pieces and finish us off. I didn't remain in contact because I was being watched, I tried everything to solve this mess but they want us gone" confessed Tajima,

Madara slammed his hands against the table splitting it open.

"A **_thousand_ ** generations have defended this family. It has _never_ fallen before, nor will _I_ allow it to fall now" promised Madara,

"Neither will I" promised Naruto,

"They expect one of you to die in battle. Whoever survives will resent Tajima and they want to use that hate to overthrow your father. When he and I both are in our graves, they would turn again and see our last family member dead as well. Then they'll have the entire clan in their grasp..." said Naori bitterly,

 _"That will not happen!"_

Naruto couldn't help but admire the strength of his Father, even after all these years he was still so strong and formidable. It took him this long to realize but Tajima had always been the rock of their family.

He was not kind, caring or gentle.

But he was strong, determined, ruthless and cunning. It were these traits that had kept them all alive till now...

"You could have refuted this trial, but you didn't. Majority of our allies are here, you want us brothers to show them our power and gather support. And then the elders..." said Naruto, realizing his father's true intentions.

 **"And then we will kill them all"** promised Tajima coldly,

Naruto was left speechless. He had always imagined himself to be a little cunning, but his father was better than him. Neither Madara or Naruto himself had the patience or foresight to orchestrate a plan that took a decade while battling all those challenges that Tajima faced silently without complaining to anyone.

It made him feel insignificant and small for while he was hurt over his father's ignorance of him, the man was busy trying to save their family from enemies that threatened to destroy it.

"They have showed their defiance openly now. If Naruto wins, then he'll be the next clan head. Same goes for Madara if he wins, you both are feared and respected by our allies. When they see you in action alongwith the entire clan, there won't be much resistance left when we move against the elders" suggested Naruto,

"I don't want the title!" spoke both Naruto and Madara at the same time,

Tajima and Naori glanced at each other knowingly before looking at the two determined boys again...

"What are our words?" asked Tajima seriously, and was proud of the cold smiles that arrived on the faces of his sons.

 ** _"Fire and Blood"_**


	14. The Capital

**Thank you for the support. Hope you continue it.**

 **Chapter 14**

 **The Capital**

* * *

The atmosphere inside the room was quite somber as Tajima sat surrounded by his allies and his family. The matter of discussion was the fate of the three elders who were currently rotting in the dark cells.

Many of the clan heads wanted the elders to be tortured to death for their treason against Tajima's family.

Others wanted to make an example out of them, Tobi Shimura had actually recommended flaying the elders alive and then hanging their burned skin in the Uchiha settlement as an example of what happened when one crosses their liege lord. Even cold hearted Tajima had been repulsed by that option but made sure to decline that punishment suggested by the Shimura with respect.

A few soft hearted clan heads wanted the elders imprisoned for life.

There was still no consensus achieved and the lords and ladies were still bickering with each other over which option was best. Only one person had remained silent and Tajima glanced at him.

Naruto's face was set in stone as he remained standing in a corner listening to suggested punishment for those who wronged him. He had not said a word till now but was forced to step in the center when his father beckoned him. Instantly, the bickering clan heads stopped their arguments.

"Maybe we should let him decide the punishment. It was his honor those people tried to harm..." suggested Tajima,

"An excellent suggestion, Lord Tajima. It is befitting..." agreed Tobi Shimura readily,

"What do you have in mind, Lord Naruto?" asked Rei Namikaze curiously,

Naruto flinched at that title addressed to his name, all his life he had been called nothing but a Kinslayer and now with a single battle he had achieved most of the things he had lost. The Uchiha were still warming up to the idea of accepting him back as one of their own, but they were not spitting at him either. He would call that progress...

He looked at his family and saw all of them were willing to accept whatever decision he made. He had already listened to all the suggestions, some seemed reasonable, others were barbaric to him even if they were a norm during this era of bloody wars.

He made his decision.

"I want them beheaded before last light today" declared Naruto calmly,

"Very well" acquiesced Tajima, earning consenting nods from all the clan heads and his family as well.

The meeting was about to break up until Tajima saw Naruto was yet to stop staring at him.

"What is it?" asked Tajima straight forwardly,

"I'll do it myself"

Shocked gasps escaped from most people's lips on that demand. Tajima narrowed his eyes, Madara frowned and Naori looked worried.

"There is no need for that, Naruto. Whenever we have to execute one of our own kin for his crimes, we have executioners from outside our family who do the job. By doing so, the one who does the killing cannot be branded a..." explained Tajima, careful enough not to say the dreaded word knowing how much it affected his son.

"I am _already_ one, Father. It won't make a difference..." rebuffed Naruto seriously,

"Naruto..."

The clan heads and Naori flinched when they saw the cold fury that arrived in Naruto's eyes as he glared at Tajima.

"If I putting someone to death, then it is my responsibility to look them in the eye and do the deed myself. I passed the sentence... _now I'll swing the sword_ "

Tajima blinked at those words before a proud smile twitched across his lips. He looked at Madara who gave a reluctant nod, the gesture repeated by Naori. The Uchiha clan head saw his allies were very impressed with Naruto's decision.

Even if a Kinslayer was reviled by most clans today, Naruto had already done the deed many years ago so it wouldn't make a difference if he killed proven traitors. Most of all, he proved himself a man and not a boy by deciding to carry out the sentence himself.

If Tajima remembered correctly, it was the old way that his son followed. It started during Indra Uchiha's days when the clan head would kill traitors, deserters or criminals himself after passing the sentence even if they were Uchiha. Back then, nobody dared question Indra even if he killed his own kin.

Looking at Naruto, Tajima could not help but feel that Indra was reborn again in this boy.

"Very well, Naruto. You are allowed to carry out the sentence..." declared Tajima, earning a grateful nod from his son.

"Father..."

Tajima paused just as he was about to break the meeting.

''What is it?" asked Tajima curiously, and didn't miss Naruto chewing his inside lip which was a clear sign of nervousness and hesitation.

"It is a bad idea to march our entire force towards the Damiyo's capital. It could send a wrong message or there could already be a trap set for us" pointed Naruto,

"We were invited by the Damiyo himself, Naruto. The law is clear in this matter, we are under the Damiyo's protection under his roof. Not even the Senjus can break the peace there..." clarified Tajima, but Naruto shook his head.

"Don't trust those _tree huggers_ , Father" insisted Naruto, earning amused chuckles from their bannermen on that nickname given to the Senjus.

Tajima was still not convinced until Madara stepped forward as well.

"He's right, Father. We cannot trust the Senjus or the Damiyo no matter what the laws say. Therefore I propose that I and Naruto go to the Capital with a small force and initiate these negotiations. We'll check for any dangers while you wait with our army near the river. If there is a threat, we'll give you the signal so that you can either attack or retreat" explained Madara,

"I agree to this plan. But Father, if it's a trap you cannot send both of your sons into danger. Let Madara stay with you, I'll go" suggested Naruto,

Madara slammed his hand harshly against the table before him making many people flinch.

"You think I'll send my youngest brother to that trap _all alone?_ " demanded Madara furiously,

"I can take care of myself" challenged Naruto, and was quite irked that his brother thought him weak if something turned against him.

Before the brothers could argue further, Tobi Shimura and Rei Namikaze got up from their chairs silencing Madara.

"Lord Naruto is right. You cannot send both of your sons into the Capital, because if it's a trap and both of them get captured or killed then the Senjus will have more leverage over us. Since Madara is your heir, we suggest to make him the leader of our forces that would wait near the river with you Lord Tajima. The moment we see trouble he can bring _Fire and Blood_ to our enemies..." proposed Rei Namikaze seriously,

"Don't worry about your brother, Lord Madara. I as well as Lady Namikaze shall take 500 of our best fighters with him to the Capital, and the Kinsguard will also join us. The Senjus or the Damiyo would have to go through _our corpses_ first before they can even lay a _finger_ on your brother'' promised Tobi Shimura honestly,

Naruto was left speechless. These two were the leaders of their clans and they were accompanying him willingly to the Capital knowing there was a very good chance of being captured and killed. All these years, he had only Kurama and the Kinsguard willing to follow him into danger, but this was the first instance when two clan heads and their supporters were willing to risk their lives for him. Even going so far as to lay down their lives for his own.

He looked at his Father and saw the man then gaze at the two clan heads pointedly. The message from Tajima was clear for Naruto to understand.

 _You find your true friends on the battlefield._

It was one thing to pledge loyalty but to actually go through with it no matter what could say a lot about a person's character. Naruto glanced at the Namikaze and Shimura clan heads, they were one of the first to pledge him their full support and now when the time came they came through with their promise while the other clan heads had been hesitant in making the same offer. It didn't mean they were not loyal but Naruto could see whom the Uchiha could rely upon without any doubt in any situation.

Even Madara seemed pacified by that loyalty and backed down much to Naruto's relief.

"Then it's decided. Naruto you will go to the Capital as my envoy, I give you authority to speak for our faction. However, I will keep Tobirama hostage with me and Madara to prevent any accidents from occurring inside the Capital" said Tajima with a smirk,

He was pleased when both his sons grinned back at him.

"It's a good choice, Father. I know Hashirama, as long as we have his brother he will not allow anyone including the Damiyo to even raise a finger against Naruto" assured Madara,

"I'll make sure to give them a taste of _Uchiha diplomacy_ " proposed Naori,

At first Tajima hesitated but eventually he had to cave in when his sister looked at him pointedly. It was no truth Naori was a master at her game which was negotiations and diplomacy. No matter how cunning or skilled Naruto was, the boy was not fully ready to deal with the royal court itself. Not to mention Hashirama Senju...

But Naori had years of experience and could give Naruto sound advise during the negotiations. Plus, Tajima doubted she was willing to let Naruto go into the lion's den on his own while the rest of his family remained safe. It was no secret to Tajima that his sister loved Naruto like her own son, and while she was not a woman of many words just like him he could clearly see the undying love she had for Naruto in her eyes.

Naruto tried to protest against risking his aunt's life, but was forced to shut up when Tajima and Naori gave him a pointed stare.

Soon after the meeting broke up and Naruto had to stay behind to receive a lengthy lecture from his aunt for trying to make decisions for her by himself. Madara and Tajima had made sure to enjoy every moment of that conversation.

* * *

Heavy rains fell from the skies drenching the lands clean off all the blood and gore that had contaminated it because of the conflicts during the past few weeks. Yet before these lands could get a fresh start, some more blood was about to be spilled.

Tajima, Madara and Naori alongwith all the other clan heads watched as the prisoners were brought forward in the center of the open field where three wooden stumps were ready for them.

When the prisoners were ready, they all stared at Naruto who closed his eyes before taking a deep breath. When that was done, the boy opened his eyes again and this time they were as hard as steel which allowed him to walk forward as the rains drenched him from head to toe.

Tajima could not help but be proud of his son for he knew Naruto was not doing this for vengeance. His son was not that kind of man, the only person Tajima knew his son truly hated was currently rotting in a cell and sooner or later Naruto would take his life as well.

What made Tajima proud of his boy was the fact that he grew up to be exactly the kind of leader their clan needed. Someone who could support Madara in making the hard but the right choices, Tajima glanced at his sister and they both smiled because they now knew their legacy was safe in the form of these two boys.

But for the moment, their gazes drifted towards Naruto as he reached the prisoners and everyone heard the conversation that followed.

It was Ayato Uchiha who glared at Naruto harshly, the crippled man's lone eye burned with hatred but _never_ regret.

"The blood of _Indra_ flows through my veins just as much as yours, _boy_. I fought Kento Senju for your grandfather, I fought Butsuma Senju for your father, and I fought Hashirama Senju for your brother" said Ayato proudly,

"We are kin by blood. _Uchiha and Uchiha..._ " stated Itami sternly,

Naruto's ice cold eyes glared down at the two old men and one woman who stared back at him with fierce defiance in their eyes. Until they end, they were proud Uchiha. If only they knew why he became a Kinslayer, then maybe none of this would have happened. But that secret was not to be revealed for it would destroy the Uchiha before the Senjus ever could.

"You betrayed me. It's time to face the consequences of your actions..." said Naruto stoically, earning a scoff from Hotaru.

"You talk of _justice? You?_ The man who killed his own blood and the person who is about to do so again..." sneered Hotaru spitefully,

"Kneel"

Naruto's stern command earned him one final glare from the three elders but they did kneel and placed their heads ahead of the wooden stump. Wordlessly, Naruto created two more shadow clones who took up positions with their swords beside Itami and Ayato, while Naruto himself took up position beside Hotaru.

"Ayato Uchiha, Itami Uchiha, Hotaru Uchiha: Today before the gods and men I sentence you to _ **death**_ for treason against your own clan and your liege lord's family. Any last words?" stated Naruto calmly,

The three looked at him and the hatred he saw in their eyes was not something he would ever forget. Nor would he forget the words they said to him for they would haunt him...

"My ancestors are smiling at me for trying to do my duty by saving my clan from a monster. _Can you say the same?_ " demanded Itami Uchiha,

"No man is ever hated as much as a _Kinslayer_ in this world. I die today knowing that one day you will pay in blood for all the blood you have shed" cursed Ayato Uchiha.

Naruto remained stoic in the face of those words as his eyes moved towards the last elder. He didn't say it but every moment of this act was like a stab to his heart. He didn't want to do this, didn't want to shed any more blood of his own people...but there was no choice.

These three had rebelled in the open and an example had to be made. There would be some outrage over the execution of the last three elders for they were quite respected among the clan. He had decided to execute them himself saving his father, brother or aunt from giving that order. He even recommended this punishment so that every Uchiha knew that it was his decision all along.

But what he was about to do was just the same thing as the one he did on that night when he killed his clansmen. Back then he had a reason, just as he did now but it hurt him just as much as it did back then.

Hotaru Uchiha's last words were the final dagger to his heart...

 _"Kill me and be cursed, Kinslayer. You're no kin of mine..."_

The swords came down without hesitation severing heads from shoulders unleashing a torrent of released blood staining the once green grass as the twitching bodies collapsed against the wooden stump while the accusing and hateful eyes still glared at him from the severed heads lying on the ground.

He dismissed his clones and threw away his bloodstained sword. He marched back towards the Yamanaka settlement just as furiously as the rains fell from the skies. His eyes were angrier than ever and his heart threatened to explode from the inside.

But he didn't cry or scream, he didn't acknowledge the respectful and proud nods of the other clan heads. They were all impressed that Naruto actually had the balls to carry out the sentence himself not knowing the real reason why he did it in the first place.

Despite their crimes and their hatred of him, those elders were Uchiha.

 _They were family._

And he killed them, just as he killed all those Uchiha mercilessly that night.

He had sworn never to do such a terrifying thing again in his life and yet today he just had to do it again.

The elders were right...

 **He was cursed.**

* * *

Naruto sat alone in the shady bar shrouded in darkness. His hand idly twisted the cup of sake while his eyes absently stared at the liquid inside the cup which continued showing him the moment when those three heads were separated from their necks, all the while those haunting words said by those people echoed across his heart.

His hands were still trembling just as they had on that night all those years ago.

Back then he had done his duty, just as he did today.

 _But it hurt._

It hurt **_a lot_ ** to kill people he was _sworn_ to protect, to take the lives of those who were his family no matter the reason. For it put into question all his years of loyalty, what was the point of it all if he just had to continue killing his own people?

 _You're no kin of mine..._

He finished his drink in one single swoop and felt the heat it passed across his body. _Those people..._

They had hated him, conspired to kill him and depose his family, he wondered if they would do the same if they knew why Naruto killed all those Uchiha years ago? Would they understand? Would they find it in their heart to forgive him? Or would they still hate?

"Leadership is never easy"

He hazily looked up and saw his father and Naori standing before him. When he didn't say anything, Tajima took up a seat across from him while Naori came forward and sat beside him.

Without warning Naori snaked her arm around his shoulders bringing him closer as Tajima ordered another round of drinks for the three of them. One of the few times the Uchiha clan head actually indulged in drinking, neither Naori or Naruto missed it but they did not stop Tajima either.

"How do the two of you do it?" asked Naruto silently, and saw both brother and sister glance at each other.

"We were seven brothers and sisters once..." admitted Tajima, his gaze lost in some long forgotten memory and his voice laced with sadness. Naori looked even worse as he felt her clutch him even more fiercely.

"What happened to them?"

Naruto's question was not answered by Tajima but by the man's sister.

"They all were _murdered_. You know why your father and I hate the Senjus so much, why our people hate them?" asked Naori,

"Why..." whispered Naruto,

"Your grandfather was tired of this never ending war. He proposed a _truce_ against the wishes of his clansmen and allies, he wanted to do it so that his children could live a life free of war and death. Your grandmother wanted the same..." admitted Naori sadly,

"I wish I could have met them" said Naruto honestly, making Tajima weakly smirk.

"They would have liked you..."

A silence fell over them as their drinks arrived and they all busied themselves with drinking the sake. When that was done, Tajima's eyes turned cold and his fists clenched while Naori looked heartbroken.

"When our father reached the peace talks. All his children and allies accompanied him, and then..." said Tajima bitterly,

"And then the Senjus _killed them all_ "

Naruto's heart skipped a beat as he heard what happened. Nobody had ever told him the history of his family nor had he cared enough to investigate. He had always assumed his father and aunt hated the Senjus, but he never understood why they hated them so fiercely to see them all dead.

"I watched _four_ of my brothers die before my eyes. The youngest were killed before they even realized what was happening, the elder ones died trying to protect my father. Everywhere there was chaos for the Senjus and their allies had set up a perfect trap. We were foolish enough to have gone there on good faith, I somehow managed to drag Naori away from the chaos but my youngest sister Rei was captured. They _raped_ and _murdered_ her while the few of us that were left including our wounded father were dragged away by one of the Shimura fighters" revealed Tajima,

"Your grandmother couldn't bear the loss of _five_ of her children, she died weeks later. Your grandfather became a defeated man who lost hope, we thought all was lost but Tajima never gave up. I wanted vengeance but he advocated patience, so we regained our strength. It took years and when we were ready we **_slaughtered_** Kento Senju's entire family except for his last son Butsuma who became the new Senju clan head. We avenged our family but it will not be complete until we see the Senjus pay for all they have done to our family" said Naori fiercely,

For the first time Naruto saw a new side to his father and aunt. All these years he had thought them to be undefeatable and the rock that held their family and clan together. He had lost three brothers in one battle and it pained him till this day, when he compared that to the loss these two had endured...

''I heard what Hotaru said to you..." said Tajima seriously,

"No matter what I do...I don't know if I can be one of them again" confessed Naruto, which made Naori touch his cheek and look him in the eye.

 _"You are Naruto of the Uchiha clan. The blood of the dragon"_

 _"Nobody can take that away from you"_

Naruto couldn't help but smile which made them smile as well.

"Your life has not been easy, Naruto. But someday we might not be here, it will be just you and your brother. We survived because Naori and I stayed united no matter our differences. You and Madara must look after the Uchiha and that includes doing things you may hate. Madara will do his job when the time comes, despite his shortcomings he loves our clan and this family. You must help him in that" advised Tajima,

"I will" promised Naruto without hesitation,

"Life is...never certain, Naruto. Should something happen to your brother..." cautioned Naori,

 **"I won't let that happen!"**

Tajima and Naori smiled on seeing the fire that came alive in Naruto's eyes and they knew right there anyone would have to walk over Naruto's corpse first before they even got to Madara. And yet...

"We believe you. But if something does happen to Madara...then I want you to _promise_ us something" said Naori seriously,

Naruto merely nodded and saw Tajima glance at him with all his seriousness.

"If that happens, then you will be the **leader** of the Uchiha. I know what many think of you, but there are several others who would follow you all the way to hell itself. _If one branch falls, even then the tree must stand strong_. You understand?" asked Tajima, his intense dark eyes boring into Naruto's soul.

He was pleased when his son didn't flinch and replied without any hesitation.

"I promise"

Naruto saw they were satisfied with his answer because they knew that he kept his promises. He saw Naori looking at Tajima with a silent question in her eyes, no words were needed between them just like no words were ever needed between Naruto and Madara to understand each other. The bond between siblings was quite unique and strong, no matter the generation.

Tajima finally nodded which made Naori smile widely as she turned back towards Naruto.

"What is it?" he asked curiously,

"Would you like to see your mother?"

Naruto's heart stopped. All his life he had wanted to get a glimpse of his mother and the only way to do that was through memories. He couldn't recall his own since Hikari died soon after birthing him, but his brothers and family remembered her.

His father never talked about her, some even said when she died so did what was left of the light in Tajima's heart. After she was taken, Tajima never smiled openly.

His brothers also didn't have much memories of their mother, except for Madara and Naruto knew his brother didn't like anyone to look into his mind in any manner. Even Naori never talked about her much...

But now...

Naori gave a nod as he activated his sharingan and looked into her eyes.

He felt himself enter her mind and she had already been prepared for the first thing he saw was a sight that brought immense joy and pain to his heart.

 _There sitting on a bed was the disshelved form of his mother. She had long brown hair just like him, even their skin tone was the same, so were their eyes. She was breathing harshly, but there was a smile on her lips and such tenderness in her eyes as she held the infant in her arms._

 _Her remaining four boys had surrounded her bed looking curiously at the bundle in their mother's eyes._

 _Tajima was standing in a corner and Naori held him fiercely as silent tears slipped from his eyes._

 _Naruto himself stood in a corner looking at his entire family together for the first time before his eyes. His brothers, all of them were so young and innocent._

 _Izuna..._

 _He tried to reach out and touch his brother but his hands passed through the young Uchiha._

 _"This is your last brother, my sons..." whispered Hikari gently with a smile,_

 _Naruto stopped breathing as he saw Hikari try to pass the bundle to Madara who was still too shocked to move. Instead, it was Izuna who came forward and cradled the infant in his small arms._

 _"Mother, he is smiling!" said Izuna in awe, which made the dying woman lightly chukcle._

 _"He likes you. You will protect him, won't you, Izuna?" asked Hikari lovingly, and saw the young boy nod fiercely._

 _"With my life, mother" promised Izuna,_

 _"So will I" promised Madara after a pause,_

 _"Me too" chorused Inabi and Yashiro in unison, the twins looked young and confused but they faithfully did what their older brothers were doing._

 _Hikari laughed and brought all five of her boys in a fierce embrace, her last embrace..._

 _Her words echoing in the air..._

 _"Naruto...his name is Naruto"_

Tajima watched as the trance broke and saw his sister staring at Naruto. He expected the boy to cry and he wouldn't blame him, but Tajima was surprised to see Naruto laugh.

There was no sadness or misery in that laugh, but joy and gratefulness.

Naori looked at her brother and saw him nod, when they came here the boy had been a mess. He had looked lost, but now...

He knew what he was fighting for, he knew his family had his back from the moment he first came into this world. And that fact would not change no matter what happened.

"Thank you" whispered Naruto gratefully looking at his father and aunt who smiled back at him.

"Now go and get some rest. We leave for the Capital tomorrow, Tajima will finish some things here before joining us. You know the plan, correct?" questioned Naori,

"I know"

"Good"

Sensing the conversation had ended, Naruto got up feeling quite relieved and nodded respectfully at his father and aunt.

"Naruto..."

He was just about to walk away when Tajima's voice stopped him. Looking at his father, Naruto saw the man was still smiling...

"If you ever want to talk about your mother...you know where I am"

Naruto was stunned yet again. Tajima never talked about his dead wife with anyone, even now it had been Naori who gave him that priceless memory. And yet Tajima...

He could only imagine what his father was putting aside to talk about someone he loved more than anything, one who's loss hurt him even today. Naruto himself never liked to talk about Izuna or his dead twin brothers to anyone, so he knew what Tajima was offering him was not something trivial.

"I'll hold you to that, Father" said Naruto with a grin,

"Get out of here" said Tajima irritatedly, although the smirk hanging at the corner of his lips betrayed his real emotions.

Naruto laughed before walking away.

* * *

Mikoto irritatedly opened the door of her temporary home with a nasty frown on her face only because the visitor had not stopped banging the door for a single second. Although, her frown was soon replaced by concern when she saw Naruto standing there in the rain, drenched from head to toe and shivering badly.

Wordlessly, she grabbed him and dragged his ass inside. Before he could protest, she threw a spare towel at him which he took with his usual cocky grin while she went inside the kitchen and started brewing some hot coffee.

When she returned back to the living area, she saw he had made himself comfortable on her couch but thankfully he had dried himself first. She offered him the hot coffee which he took with a grateful nod as she seated herself in front of him.

Her sharp eyes hadn't miss how furious he had been when he executed the elders. It had been the right thing to do, but it was painful nonetheless. She admired his resolve for seeing that difficult affair through till the end.

He was still staring at the coffee, occasionally blowing a cold breath over the hot liquid before taking a few sips. Still, she saw a storm raging inside his eyes which could only mean he was thinking quite hard. After spending nearly a decade with him, she knew most of his traits clearly by now.

Although her patience was running thin tonight...

" _Naruto..._ " she prompted, finally making him stare at her.

"You remember you once said that you wanted something _more_ for us..." he said hesitantly, and watched her freeze. Those dark eyes of her narrowing down at him dangerously with hope but caution burning in them.

"I did..." she admitted, trying to control her own heart that was beating faster and faster with every passing second.

"And I had said that I cannot risk doing that because it will put you in danger" he pointed carefully,

"And I told you that I can take care of myself. Besides we're _ninjas_ , our life is never certain" she pointed, earning a complacent nod from him.

"I know that..." he replied hesitantly,

"What do you want, Naruto? Speak clearly!" she demanded, unable to handle the anticipation.

When she frustratedly got up from her own seat on the couch, he followed after her into the kitchen and blocked her way. They were both inches away from each other, so much that she could feel his breath which was smelled of coffee, rainwater and mild trace of sake.

 **"You..."**

Her eyes widened at that confession and looking into his eyes she saw he truly wanted this. Still, she wanted to be certain even if her heart was just about to explode from joy.

"What changed?" she asked, even as she inched even more closer to him.

She saw the flash of sadness in his eyes which was soon replaced by determination. She wanted to know why that emotion passed through his eyes but decided it was better to let him speak or risk him running away again. He had already done it for many years...

"I saw _something_ that made me realize I don't want to die alone. I want to have a family, be with someone who does not judge me. _I really, really like you, Mikoto_. You're funny, caring and never back down before me. **You see me for the person I am and not as a Kinslayer...** " he whispered,

"And?" she whispered back, her lips now brushing against the tip of his own.

"I won't lie to you. I truly want this, _I want us..._ " he requested, and saw her stare in his eyes.

"Then answer my questions" she demanded, earning a nod from him.

"Do you love me?" she asked straight forwardly, but he didn't look away as she had expected.

"Not right now. _But I will in time..._ " he confessed honestly,

If it was any other woman they would have backed away, but Mikoto preferred the hard but honest truth instead of a convenient lie. So, she accepted his truth by laying her head against his own.

"Have you ever been with someone before?" she questioned, and saw him flinch _._

 _"Answer me"_

He knew his own reaction had given him away, he had expected her to feel jealous but strangely there was an entire different look in her eyes that made something burn inside his chest.

"I have slept with only one woman before. And I am not going to offer any explanation on this..." said Naruto seriously,

 _"Fine"_

The next moment she slammed him against the nearest wall as her lips simply consumed his own. Naruto gasped in surprise as his hands grasped her wonderful hips eliciting a moan out of her. In return, Mikoto's own hands reached towards his pants.

Naruto broke the kiss but it couldn't stop the blush from arriving on his lips, it was made even more worse when Mikoto smirked at him.

 _"I'm cold"_ he defended, which only made her grin devilishly at him.

 _"Oh, we can take care of that..."_

Naruto's blush deepened to the highest level as she took off his pants and bent down.

* * *

(Three Weeks Later)

Hashirama Senju stood alongside his family and his allies near the gates of the Fire Capital. Personally, he and everyone else would have preferred not being here, but it was a courtesy that was demanded by the Damiyo himself. Since the old and stern man had extended the same gesture to Hashirama's side when they arrived here and since they were also under the same man's hospitality, they were obligated to facilitate his wishes.

He faintly smiled on seeing Tsunade restlessly tapping her foot with a nasty scowl present on her beautiful face. In the rays of the morning sun which had finally arrived after weeks of rain, his sister was glowing with all her beauty and grace. But it was also true, the Uchihas had taken their sweet time in getting here.

It had been more than a month since the Fire Damiyo issued the summons to the _dragons_ , and since the order failed to mention when they were expected at the earliest, it had allowed the Uchihas to exploit the opportunity to the fullest.

Every passing day had already rattled Tsunade and Kawarama's nerves. Hashirama himself was not happy but unlike his siblings he had expected the Uchiha to pull off a stunt like this. Certainly from the notorious _Young Dragon..._

News of Naruto's trial had reached the Capital. It was also widely known now that the boy crushed the coup against him by the elders of his clan and went ahead to execute them by his own hands.

 _Beheading._

Hashirama was still disgusted by that ancient custom followed by the Uchihas even today. They were the followers of the old gods and everything that hailed from that lost era. Even in these modern times...

In that regard, only the Kaguyas and Hagoromo's were the ones who were the same as the Uchihas in this matter and many others.

The Senjus also executed their enemies but through hanging. Most of the other clans did the same as well, but the Uchihas had in a span of a few months demonstrated that they were capable of beheading their enemies, flaying them alive, and in rare case wipe out an entire clan to the last member.

All of those three barbaric acts performed by a young boy Hashirama was about to meet in a few minutes...

Hashirama still didn't know what to think of Naruto Uchiha, _The Young Dragon_. The past few weeks he had made sure to listen to every information he could gain on the boy since he was the one who held Tobirama's fate in his hands. What he discovered had not placed a rosy picture before Hashirama...

Naruto was every bit Tajima's son, not just in blood but in deeds as well. Mercy was not his strong suit, but ruthlessness was.

 **Fire and Blood.**

Those were the Uchiha clan's words and Naruto was the perfect embodiment of them to the last letter.

If it was Madara who Hashirama had to talk to, then the Senju head had a faint hope that his friend would atleast listen to him if not outright reject returning Tobirama. But Naruto...

He was brought out of his musings when he sensed it. The others were a little late but soon enough they too heard the sounds.

Their small welcoming party was currently standing exactly on the tower above the large gates which allowed them to see the Uchihas when they first arrived.

The first to break out of the dense forest was a young boy in dazzling golden armor riding atop a giant fox. Behind him came hundreds of more fighters riding atop the horses the Damiyo had provided for their fast travel since the lord couldn't wait anymore. Hashirama didn't miss the Uchiha, Shimura and Namikaze banners being carried proudly by many of the riders.

But Hashirama and everyone else's attention was mostly fixed on the young boy in golden armor and the other five Uchiha dressed in bronze armor that were riding beside him. All of them were heavily armed and looked ready to respond on the first sign of any treachery.

Despite his past deeds, Hashirama could not help but accept that Naruto was a _striking_ man. Apart from his past exploits, the Uchiha was a handsome man inheriting all of his mother's beauty and his father's tact. More than that, he had carried himself back into the good graces of his allies with the victories he achieved over the years.

Hashirama could attest that fact by seeing the way all those Uchiha, Shimura and Namikaze fighters were riding faithfully by his side. On the first sign of trouble, it would be they who would step into fire first before they allowed any harm to fall on their liege lord's son.

The Senju clan head saw the Damiyo and his royal family looked quite impressed from what they had seen so far which did not bode well for the Senjus. But he cast those dark thoughts aside and looked at his siblings to gauge their reactions.

Kawarama flinched and started biting his lips in a clear display of nervousness. The boy had not forgotten the recent battle where he was almost killed by Naruto.

Tsunade on the other hand was somewhere between maintaining her scowling expression and hiding her curiosity. No matter how much she tried to conceal her emotions, Hashirama could actually feel her conflict but chose not to call her out on that or risk letting her explode in anger and denial in front of all these people. If he knew her right, then Tsunade despite her curiosity was thinking about a thousand different ways to kill all their enemies...

As the Uchiha force drew nearer, the Damiyo beckoned his own group to step down towards the gates. Everyone obediently followed the man's order without question despite any of their personal feelings.

Thankfully, it was not long before Naruto rode inside the royal castle atop his giant fox surprising everyone as they truly saw the massive beast in all its glory. Two of the royal guards backed away when the beast snarled at them earning a chuckle from Naruto who patted the beast which actually made it stop intimidating the guards.

 _So the tales were true. He really does ride atop a giant fox._

Despite the situation Hashirama couldn't help but smirk on imagining a dragon riding atop a fox. It was a hilarious sight, one which would certainly make any Uchiha furious which Hashirama was forced to avoid lest he endanger his brother's life anymore than it already was.

Still, he waited as Naruto got off his horse and his Kinsguard dismounted from their own horses. Their party was joined by the Shimura and Namikaze clan heads. They all waited patiently as a strikingly beautiful female came from the rear ranks.

She had all the Uchiha features: the high cheek bones, the extremely fair skin tone, long and straight dark purple hair, and eyes that had the power to charm anyone or intimidate them to death. So, this was the famous Naori, the infamous sister of Tajima Uchiha.

Together the entire group formed a protective circle around Naruto and approached towards their host.

The Uchiha's were nothing if perfect in the way they knelt before the Damiyo. It might have hurt their pride, but Naruto seemed intelligent enough to understand which man he must not provoke. Hashirama hoped the boy would feel the same when they met...

But the moment their eyes met, all he saw were...

 _Cold eyes full of hatred._


	15. The Last Roar

**Thank you for the support. Hope you continue it.**

 **Chapter 15**

 **The Last Roar**

* * *

Naruto stared at the man before him. It was hard to believe that this simple looking old man who was probably in his early fifties ruled over the entire Land of Fire. He was thin and gaunt, with long black hair that were quickly turning white, but it were his dark green eyes that made Naruto a little uneasy.

Lord Raiga Minamoto was one of the many feudal lords who had ruled over these lands for hundreds of years. There was a time when his family were just wealthy and influential merchants until their founding father, Lord Hayato Minamoto started expanding his clout by forming alliances. From there was born the feudal monarchy that had ruled over both Uchiha and Senju for a very long time.

Despite all their power and strength, neither great clan or their allies could muster as many fighters as the Damiyo could. He had the largest standing army of the elemental nations made up of 25,000 strong Samurai, royal guards, Shogun, many lesser known clans and the royal family's elite forces.

Neither Uchiha or Senju had enough forces to beat those numbers. Even if they allied together, their victory would be bittersweet for they would almost be annihilated by the time the Damiyo's last forces were defeated.

It was why he had knelt before this man, so had all his supporters and he had no doubt even the mighty Senjus would have had to do the same when they first arrived at the Capital.

 _Kyoto._

It was the name of the Capital and the ancestral seat of the royal family. Looking at the city, Naruto could not help but be impressed. It was a vast settlement protected by walls that were nearly fifty feet high and protected by seals created by the Uzumaki clan themselves that prevented any ninja forces from scaling the walls by using chakra.

Everywhere he looked there were vast buildings and even larger markets, thousands of people dressed in colorful clothing could be seen either taking a stroll, buying or selling wares, or entering the numerous whorehouses, across the inner most districts resided the nobles and advisers of the royal family. And in the center of the city was a the grand palace, even from this distance Naruto could see its seven magnificent towers and the grand castle where the Damiyo addressed his court. It was said there were many beautiful gardens and lavish bathhouses inside the castle. It was also heavily protected by nearly a thousand fighters that were always on duty. Not to mention the City's personal elite defense force that always patrolled the Capital and its adjoining borders.

It would have awed any other man, but it only filled Naruto with bitterness.

His ancestors had ruled over the elemental nations. Hagoromo's rule was an era of peace where people truly prospered and it would have continued had the Sage not chosen to deprive his eldest son of his right as his heir. Indra had all the traits needed from a ruler, and as for his shortcomings the Sage and Ashura could have chosen to help overcome them by supporting him. Yet mistakes were made and the result of which was the fact that the descendants of those great men were now forced to bow before a simple merchant whose family had just been smart enough to use the ancient blood feud to their advantage.

 _It was humiliating._

Even the Senjus who till this day considered it right that Ashura usurped his brother based on merit were in turn the ones who also followed the tradition of the eldest son of the clan head becoming the next clan head. It was hypocrisy at its best.

By right it should be the Uchiha ruling over the Land of Fire with the Senjus acting as their supporting family, as it was truly meant to be. If that had happened, then it would not have been either Naruto or Hashirama bowing to a common merchant but the opposite.

Still, it was a moot point now as he saw Hashirama approach towards him.

Looking at the Senju clan head who also happened to be a former friend of Naruto's brother made the Uchiha feel a little conflicted. Hashirama was a tall and muscular man, his fighting prowess was legendary enough to even make Madara respect him, but it was his kind smile and easygoing nature which put Naruto on alarm.

He would have believed those emotions to be actually genuine considering he had heard numerous tales of the Senju clan head actually being a kind and jovial man in reality as well. But after hearing what the Senjus did to all his aunts and uncles, what they did to this grandfather and grandmother, the suffering which Tajima and Naori went through, and the hole which was left in Naruto's heart because of the death of his brothers made him glare at the man.

"Lord Naruto" addressed Hashirama and the Damiyo at the same time,

"Your highness. Lord Senju" greeted Naruto in return, his tone was curt and respectful but the coldness in his heart did seep in just a little making the two men nod hesitantly.

It was that moment when Itama Senju chose to join his eldest brother and Naruto smirked on seeing the young Senju flinch at the sight of him.

"I had hoped you would have provided a great challenge. Alas, I was sorely disappointed..." said Naruto coolly, and was further elated when Itama lowered his head in shame for his defeat. The boy was so timid, it was actually a miracle he survived this long.

Naruto had no doubt about the fact that if Itama had not been Hashirama's brother, the boy would have died a long time ago.

There was no room for weakness in this cruel world.

A fact Naruto had to bitterly learn from his own experiences.

"So you are _The Young Dragon_. Coming from a family that proclaims themselves descendants of those great beasts, I find you quite disappointing as well. You even ride on a fox, _imagine a dragon on a fox_ " chastised a feminine voice with a mocking laugh,

Despite his hatred for the Senjus, Naruto had to use every ounce of his power not to gape at the girl before him. She was almost as tall as him with magnificent golden blonde hair that shined brightly under the sun. Her skin was fairer than his own, her beauty rivaling those of almost every beautiful woman Naruto had ever met. But it was those hazel eyes that struck him...

He knew those eyes...

And he knew this woman.

"Tsunade Senju..." greeted Naruto cordially, and he didn't miss the fact that even if she smiled at his greeting her eyes looked more murderous than most people Naruto had ever faced.

"I looked for you on the battlefield..." pointed Naruto, earning another icy stare.

"You would have long been in your _grave_ had I been there..." retorted Tsunade darkly,

Naruto knew a hothead when he saw one and this girl was no different. From the corner of his eye he saw Naori and Mikoto giving him reprimanding glares warning him not to cross a line. But the chance was too good to pass...

" _It's funny_. Your brothers said something similar and look where they are now. One a prisoner and the other...well I'd like Itama to answer that question" chipped Naruto sarcastically,

"You're out of line, **Kinslayer** " spat Tsunade bitterly, her hazel eyes now looked ready to kill.

For his part, Naruto took the blatant insult with a dismissive smile even as he saw Hashirama, Itama, the Damiyo and other nobles bristle in shock.

"Many say you are the strongest kunoichi of this country. For some even the strongest in the elemental nations..." suggested Naruto, and inwardly grinned when he saw Tsunade smirk. The stupid girl had walked right into his trap because the moment he finished that sentence Mikoto snorted insultingly.

"Now you have seen me" warned Tsunade, and was further infuriated when Naruto laughed.

"I have. And I have to say...I'm _not_ impressed" taunted Naruto, making a vein pop across Tsunade's temple.

"Care to back your words with action?" challenged Tsunade, as she briefly cracked her knuckles making many people flinch.

"I knew Senju women were desperate for true men-"

Before he could finish the sentence he was forced to draw his sword as three Senjus lunged at him followed by Tsunade herself. Naruto easily parried and deflected the sword of the first enemy before delivering a brutal elbow to the man's face that sent him crashing away. The remaining two came at him howling like stupid brutes which only made it more easier for him to evade their attacks before disarming them easily.

It was at this time Tsunade was about to lunge at him but was forced to stop when Hashirama got in the way. The Senju princess snarled furiously but calmed down on seeing the entire Uchiha force as well as her own people alongwith the Damiyo's forces looked ready to fight.

She glared murderously at the person who had provoked her to start this fight. Only now when it was too late did she realize that her mistake had costed her people because Naruto turned towards the Damiyo...

"Is this the _hospitality_ you offer to your guests, Lord Raiga?" asked Naruto disappointedly, and was satisfied when the stern looking man looked embarrassed for a change.

"That was never our intention and I assure you it shall _never_ happen again. **Lord Hashirama...** " directed Raiga seriously,

Hashirama sighed knowing what was being asked of him and since it was his own sister who started this mess by attacking Naruto, he had no other choice.

He should have known Tsunade's feelings on the Uchiha and particularly on the man who humiliated her brothers, clan, and allies.

She literally poked the dragon and the beast burned her to ashes.

"Apologize, Tsunade..." ordered Hashirama sternly, and didn't back down when she glared at him in disbelief.

"But-"

 _"Now"_

Despite the stern order, she saw the silent pleading in her brother's eyes. The message was clear for her to understand and one which she had to accept despite her desire to make the Kinslayer familiar with her punches.

 _Do it for Tobirama's sake._

"I apologize for my outburst" whispered Tsunade barely,

She expected the Kinslayer to further taunt her for her mistake but instead the Uchiha gave a curt nod before stepping closer to her even as Hashirama tensed.

"I _spared_ your life once. Insult my people again and I will see that you **_pay_** for your mistake" warned Naruto seriously,

Tsunade's eyes widened as she remembered her first battle. She remembered being scared out of her wits, barely able to hold her weapon much less defend herself. All she had done that day was avoid getting killed by the older ninjas or even the ones of her own age. That was until she spotted someone whom she could take on...

She had taken that chance only to fail and had watched that boy raise his sword. She had wet her pants as tears slipped from her eyes, she had been so terrified, weak and trembling...

But the boy had stopped.

He had looked at her and hadn't seen a Senju but a girl the same age as him whose only crime was being born into the enemy faction and given a sword forcefully to fight in a battle she was not prepared to handle.

"It was _you_..." said Tsunade in surprise,

" _What_ are you two talking about?" asked the Damiyo curiously, but the way he asked that question didn't leave any room for Tsunade to lie or evade giving an answer.

So, in the end she told the truth of the events of that day much to her own humiliation. She saw many of Naruto's followers were miffed that he spared Tsunade's life, and Tsunade's own people were miffed at that mercy which she was granted.

But the person from whom she was expecting most gloating was strangely silent.

For the first time, Hashirama saw Naruto in a different light. At the same time, it contradicted every available information he had received about the boy. Naruto had spared Tsunade's life for she had been just a child like him during their first battle.

That showed a lot of compassion from an Uchiha who must have already endured watching many of his own clansmen, allies, even family die at Senju hands. Despite all that, Naruto didn't kill Hashirama's sister.

Then how could the same person then kill his own clansmen years later with his own hands? Hashirama had a feeling Naruto could kill grown men and women, even teenagers, but he doubted the boy would be comfortable in killing children if his example with Tsunade was any proof. Yet he had even killed Uchiha children which earned him the name Kinslayer...

Yet years later during the conflict with the Fuma clan, Naruto had offered a chance of surrender to the last young ones of the Fuma clan. He had offered them protection if they chose to serve the Uchiha, but in the end the young ninjas chose to avenge all their kinsmen whom Naruto had already killed losing their own lives in the process.

It went to show that perhaps Hashirama didn't know everything about the boy.

The Senju leader looked at their two sides and saw the tension was yet to subside which did not bode well for their negotiations. Since it was Tobirama's life on the line, Hashirama decided to smooth things over as he beckoned one of his men to come forward. He was pleased on seeing Naruto's eyes going wide as he saw **Dawn** brought before him.

He saw all the joy, yearning and pride in the boy's eyes before they were replaced by skepticism.

"What do you want from me, Lord Hashirama?" asked Naruto directly, much to the Damiyo's chagrin since the man wanted this to happen inside closed rooms. But the two bitter clan had other ideas...

"Peace" answered Hashirama looking the boy right in the eye,

Naruto was stunned by that offer and he was not the only one because both Uchihas and Senjus as well as their allies felt the same shock on hearing what Hashirama just revealed.

"You think by giving me my sword that you can have peace? The last time an Uchiha leader offered your people the same, your grandfather _slaughtered_ his family" accused Naruto bitterly,

"Or have you forgotten what your grandfather did to **_my brothers and sisters?_** " asked Naori icily,

To his credit, despite the accusations Hashirama didn't falter and looked at the two Uchiha seriously.

" _I am not that man_. **I am Hashirama Senju...** "

There was incredible strength inside this man, but more than that Naruto saw honest and true conviction in those eyes. He made his intention even more clear by presenting Naruto his ancestral sword...

The weapon which was Hashirama's only leverage if he wanted to save his brother. And if he was handing it out without any conditions, the man's siblings looked ready to revolt and so did his supporters, but Hashirama ignored them all and looked at Naruto directly.

Deciding to take a risk, Naruto stepped forward and grasped his own sword.

Both of them were still holding on to **Dawn** and felt a spark pass through their bodies as the sword was still absorbing their chakra. They both smiled as in that subtle gesture they realized the scale of each other's power.

Finally, Hashirama released his grip allowing Naruto to fully take **Dawn** in his hands.

A small breeze passed across the area as Naruto raised his weapon. Even the Senjus as well as the Damiyo and his family saw Naruto practice a little with his beloved weapon. His movements were clean, precise and extremely fast. There was grace in his movements, but more than that there was something that felt right on seeing Naruto with **Dawn**.

Finally, Naruto stopped and sheated the sword on his hip replacing his previous one by handing it to a nearby Uchiha.

He then looked at Hashirama with an approving gaze...

"You're a man of honor, Lord Hashirama"

Nobody had expected Naruto to give out such a compliment. Tsunade's permanent scowl vanished on seeing no deception in Naruto's eyes, it would seem her brother had earned the Kinslayer's respect. In her opinion, it was a foolish move but it was not her place to question her brother. However, it did make her worry more for Tobirama's life.

The Uchihas were not a trustful lot, after all.

But her opinion didn't matter because the Damiyo seemed pleased that the hatchet was buried. _For now._

Before she could join their party in the march to the Damiyo's Castle, she found a demonic pair of eyes staring down at her. Tsunade had been intimidated by the great fox that brought Naruto here on his back, it was said this same beast helped the Kinslayer in slaughtering the entire Fuma clan and had violently butchered any who tried to harm Naruto in any manner.

In those eyes she saw _grave intelligence_ and a _stern warning._

She had crossed a line today with Naruto and if the menacing glare she got from the fox was any indication, she would have to do well not to do so again if she treasured her life.

Tsunade quickly joined her brothers making sure to avoid staring at the fox even remotely.

* * *

Naruto sat in front of a table going through the three letters that had just arrived for him. Two had been from his Father and brother informing him of the fact that the Uchiha army would be camping near the river in two days. Heeding his advice, his father had called their remaining reserve forces from their own clan and allies alike as a precautionary move.

It made him feel a little relieved knowing that if something did go wrong, then his Father and brother would have 10,000 strong ninjas backing them. Their enemies would know better than to openly challenge such a force.

As for him and his party, they were still in danger inside the Capital and were at the Damiyo's mercy.

Sure, the Fire Lord had been kind enough in providing grand rooms inside his Castle to the Uchiha nobles and other clan heads, while the common soldiers were given barracks to reside in. Still, their entire party as well as those of the Senju were kept inside the Castle where the Damiyo's men could keep watch.

It had barely been a few hours since he got here and already Naruto felt as if he was trapped in a prison.

Shisui and the other Kinsguard had discreetly sneaked out of the Castle on his instructions and gathered information regarding the city defenses, weaknesses, where and when the guards changed shifts, as well as how many men the Senjus had brought with them.

He was surprised to discover Hashirama had brought merely 3000 of his forces with him to the Capital and they were all currently inside the City. It was a cause of concern for Naruto because his forces inside the city were outnumbered and should the Damiyo side with the Senjus then he was truly done for.

Still, he placed aside the letters from his family and stared at the last one that bore a seal that made his eyes go wide.

He looked across his room and was relieved to see Mikoto soundly sleeping in his bed. She looked exhausted but happy and he felt the same, certainly after their rigorous activity in the sheets for three hours. He had to admit, there was so much to sex he never knew before and with every encounter he learned more and more.

Most of all, he didn't regret going forward with her even if their future was not uncertain. What he did know was the fact that once this affair at the Capital was done with, he was going to ask Tajima's permission to marry her.

It was true that he still didn't know if he truly loved her or not, but he did have feelings for her which would always be more than he would ever have for whatever noble girl his father chose for him. Now that he was claimed back by Tajima, it won't be long before Tajima tried to use that to get him married to an Uchiha or one of their allies's daughters to strengthen their bonds. Tajima may love him, but the old man was always a clan head first and father later.

Still, Naruto felt he had a good chance of making his wish be accepted because of two reasons. The first being if he succeeded at the Capital and his past victories would present a meritorious claim, and the other reason was the fact that Naruto was Tajima's youngest son. It was Madara who would inherit everything while all Naruto could hope to gain were a few lands and maybe command his brother's army. Those prospects would not appeal to many clan heads to marry their daughters to such a second rated man.

As for Naruto, he didn't mind any of that because he was happy with his freedom.

He then decided to focus back on the letter and hesitantly broke the seal. Casting one last glance at Mikoto, he then raised the paper and the message changed his world.

 _Dear Naruto,_

 _I know I promised that I wouldn't interfere in your personal life, but this is something that you needed to know._

 _I'm pregnant._

 _The medics confirmed it a few days ago, the head nurse says they could most probably be twin girls. But I cannot say for certain..._

 _What I do know is the fact that I saw you in my dreams again._

 _I know you do not believe in prophecies or my visions, but I saw what I saw. A shadow looming near a great beast,..._

 _Whatever it was, I dare say you'll see it soon enough._

 _There is no need for you to visit me or even acknowledge these children. But I will never stop you from visiting them because they are your blood. If they are boys, then you must take them with you because I cannot keep them with me despite my wish. If they are girls, then the law demands that I keep them with me._

 _But I know how much you desire a family of your own and if we have girls or boys, then I want them to know their father. If you wish it, I can arrange for you to take them with you on the condition that they be acknowledged as your legitimate children and be loved. I shall also be allowed to visit them and vice versa whenever desired._

 _Please remember the three instances I told you about where your choices will determine not just your future but that of this world. And be safe..._

 _It would be nice to see you again._

 _Yours,_

 _Priestess Shizuka_

Naruto quickly set the letter on fire and tossed it in the nearby dustbin waiting till the moment it was completely destroyed. Only then did he sink into his chair and numbly stared at his own reflection in the nearby mirror.

 **A Father.**

He had wished for it so badly all these years. In the eyes of many, he was nearly an adult now since ninjas in this age didn't live well beyond even twenty years of age. Few lucky ones managed to live till thirty years, his father was one of the men who survived even more than that. But considering Naruto's own life and the endless conflicts he was always involved in, his survival was never certain.

And now he had something to live for, something more to fight for.

Fear coursed through his heart on imagining if he would ever be able to be the father a child really needed. And Shizuka was saying he might just have _two_...

The storm it would create in his family and his own reputation were enough warnings that made him dismiss the idea of acknowledging them. Atleast right now...

If they were girls, then Shizuka would look after them and he would visit them regularly. But if it were boys...

He massaged his forehead knowing it was good and bad at the same time if Shizuka gave him twin sons instead of daughters. The Nadeshia clan would never allow boys in their midst which would force Naruto to take them or give them to someone who could look after them. Either option was disastrous for Naruto.

Madara was supposed to be the next leader, only if he died or was rendered incapacitated could Naruto rise to leadership. But if by some tragedy all three: Tajima, Madara and Naruto were killed then even so the Uchiha clan will have male heirs that could resume leadership in the future with Naori training them.

So, he made his decision.

If they were boys, then he would take them with him rather than leave them as orphans or on someone else's mercy. Tajima could throw a hissy fit, but the old man knew the benefit of having spare heirs to maintain their family's leadership over the Uchiha clan.

Even if they were girls, Naruto would acknowledge them as his own and be a part of their upbringing. If they desired to join the Uchiha, then no matter who opposed him Naruto would get them under his roof.

He suddenly paused.

He had always been protective of his family, but this feeling burning inside his chest so brightly was entirely different.

 _Love._

Those children were not even born yet and from this moment he felt a bond forming with them.

 _They were his..._

A lone tear slipped from his eye and he smiled for his impulsive decision of spiting his father might just have given him the most important gift of his life.

He had to visit Shizuka after settling the affairs here at the Capital once and for all. He had to see if she was being properly taken care of, if she was eating right, and provide any help she needed from him. She was one of the few people who had never judged him because of his dark past, and she was going to be the mother of his children.

He was bonded to her for life now and he didn't regret it. Together, they had created something good and priceless.

He remembered his own mother didn't survive giving birth to him and it made him clench his fists. He never wanted his children to grow up without a mother, he never wanted them to grow up under a distant father. They deserved every happiness in life which Naruto never got and for that he was willing to sacrifice anything.

But for now, he had an entire different matter to solve by tomorrow.

He looked at the sky and saw the sun setting, they were expected for dinner with the royal family in an hour. Still, he wanted to get some sleep and if possible dream over what his children might look like. Would they resemble him or their mother? Would they be more like him or her?

So many questions, so many possibilities, so many fears...

He knew he would go mad if he continued thinking over this matter, so he quietly sneaked into the bed and snuggled himself towards Mikoto who sensing the warmth wrapped herself around him without protest.

With a smile on his face, Naruto went off to a peaceful sleep.

* * *

Naori curiously stared at her nephew as they both walked side by side towards the dining hall where they would be feasting with the royal court and the Senjus. She had known the boy enough to realize when he was happy or sad, and right now he looked to be _over_ the moon.

"You look quite pleased" said Naori with a wry smile,

"I am" he admitted easily, and patted **Dawn** at his hip. Gods knew the boy loved that sword but she knew getting it back couldn't be enough for Naruto to look so happy.

She then saw the way he absently skipped his step in excitement and she grinned at him.

"So you and Mikoto _finally_ got together, I see"

Naruto faltered making his aunt chuckle. His cheeks flushed and he felt like a child being caught steeling something, Naori was grinning at him victoriously and he knew her enough to know that lying was not an option.

"I want to marry her" he confessed, and saw her raise her eyebrows in surprise.

"So soon? Why don't you two take it slowly?" suggested Naori, but he shook his head in denial.

"I'd rather not or else Father would find some ugly ass bride for me as punishment..." said Naruto hesitantly,

"Why would Tajima do that? You have always made him proud..." countered Naori, and saw the boy bite his lips.

"You know about her past...she's not _worthy_ to marry into our family in Father's eyes" pointed Naruto,

"Maybe. But if you want it to happen, _it shall happen_ " she promised, making him stare at her curiously.

"How?"

The gentle smile he received from her made his heart nearly melt. The love she had for him clearly reflected in her eyes as she touched his cheek with her hand.

"Leave Tajima to me" she suggested, as his eyes widened slightly.

"You'd do that for me?"

Naori came forward and laid a tender kiss on his forehead making him blush but he still looked in her eyes.

 _"I love you, Naruto"_

He knew that she had felt that emotion towards him from the moment they met again after Izuna's death. From then, there was no going back and they had grown closer and closer every day. She had stood by him, supported him, guided him, looked after him in every tiny subject of his life. He knew his father and brother loved him, so did Mikoto.

But it was she who said those priceless words to him. The _first_ person to ever say that to him...

It all felt like a blur to him and the next thing he knew was that he had her in his arms in a fierce embrace. There was a time when she was taller than him, but it had long since passed. Now he was taller and more broader than her, enough to make her melt in his embrace. He could not say anything and she didn't need to hear it because his choked breath was all she needed to know. He relaxed when she hugged him back by wrapping her arms around his back and placing a motherly kiss at the side of his head.

When they finally broke apart she just smiled at him before beckoning they resume their walk. She moved forward but stopped when she discovered her nephew was not following. Turning back she stared at him and saw him staring at her with a look she couldn't understand.

"I love you too" he whispered,

A lone tear fell from her eyes as she moved forward to embrace him again. She had known how he felt for her, for him she was his mother in all but blood but they treated each other as good friends. Naruto loved his family with all his heart, but there were only two people he had loved more than anything or anyone. She was one of them.

They finally parted and composed themselves even if their hearts were full of joy. They maintained a dignified silence as they entered the hall and saw Tobi Shimura and Rei Namikaze waiting for them. Together the group of four walked towards the head table where the Damiyo and his sons got up to greet them. The royal family was seated at the center of the table, while the Senjus sat on the left side. The Uchiha faction was provided seat on the right side of the vast table.

Naruto became oblivious to the pleasantries and small talk being exchanged among the people. He did his part here and there contributing little to the talks as Naori took the lead. She was so smooth and graceful in the way she talked, even the Damiyo's three sons seemed entranced by her.

However, his eyes were fixed on a beautiful but deadly woman who was staring at him quite keenly.

Tsunade's gaze could be considered borderline impolite but he didn't back down and looked at her calmly. They both were forced to break away from their staring match when the Damiyo called for their attention.

"I want you all to _stop_ this unending war of yours and broker peace among yourselves" said Raiga seriously, and was soon backed by Hashirama himself.

"We want you to return Tobirama to us unharmed, in return we shall relinquish all claim nor start any conflict with the Hatake or Yamanaka clan" said Hashirama honestly,

Naruto knew enough about politics to realize there was always a downside to any offer that looked too generous.

"I'm sensing you want something more..." said Naori expectantly, her gaze narrowing sharply which made Hashirama grimace as he looked at the Uchiha matriarch, then at Naruto followed by Tsunade.

"I do" confirmed Hashirama,

Before anyone could question further, the Damiyo called the attention to himself making everyone stare at him.

"It is I who suggested this solution to Hashirama in the first place and would like to see it fulfilled. Your conflicts leave my lands damaged and cause great loss of life, all of this affects the livelihood of my subjects and has a direct impact on the security and economy of this nation. More than that, I have received an urgent distress call from the Uzumaki Clan..." revealed Raiga,

"The Uzumaki?" asked Naruto curiously, earning a nod from the Damiyo's eldest son, Shinji Minamoto.

"They are our distant allies just as they are of the Senjus. They give us many good goods and play a large share in our trade, they also helped us build this city's defenses. Recently, they have spotted several ships circling around their borders at sea..." answered Shinji, causing Naruto to frown.

"The mountain clans from the land of lightning? They don't often venture so far from their lands and aren't they embroiled in civil wars with rival factions. Even their Damiyo and his family were _exterminated_ a few years back..." pointed Naruto, looking directly at the Fire Damiyo who narrowed his eyes at him for that hidden message.

Naori placed a hand on Naruto's knee which made him shut his mouth instantly. Fortunately, the Damiyo either ignored the veiled threat or had more pressing matters to discuss.

"That's just it. The mountain clans have _disappeared_ , so have most of the other clans in that nation. Our spies have heard nothing from that nation in months except silence..." revealed Raiga gravely,

Naruto furrowed his brows in concentration. The Uzumaki lived in the Land of Whirlpools and also controlled the Land of Water, both of which were the eastern most outposts of human settlement. More than that, they were the furthest allies the Land of Fire had in the elemental nations. The only rival those redheads had were those factions from the Land of Lightning who irregularly raided their lands.

If it was not the mountain clans probing the Uzumaki, then someone else was.

The Uzumaki were vital allies of the Damiyo and the Senjus, but they barely had any relation with the Uchiha except for mutual trade and even that was restricted to common items found in any other markets.

"Something is brewing out there which poses a threat to us all. If they are coming for the Uzumaki now, sooner or later they will come for us as well. We need to stand _united_ to face that threat and we cannot do that if you keep on fighting amongst each other" spat Ken Minamoto insultingly, the second son of the Damiyo was a short man but had the balls to say such a thing.

"Old blood feuds **_don't_** die easily, _Lord Ken_ " warned Naruto icily, his eyes glared so hard that the man flinched and looked away.

"Do you think our enemies care whether you are Uchiha or Senju? The Land of Fire is the largest and most powerful nation in this world, everybody wants what we have. And when they come for us they will kill every Uchiha and Senju who try to get in their way..." advised Shinzo Minamoto, the third son of the Damiyo. The man's tone was calm and respectful but Naruto saw the urgency present in his eyes.

"Our war cannot be settled by _words_ , Lord Raiga. It can be delayed to deal with this threat but unless the Senjus accept our rule there can be no peace. Indra Uchiha was the rightful heir and he was usurped, we will not rest until what he sought for our people is achieved. _It may take five, ten, or even thousands of years but we shall have it_ " declared Naori boldly,

Naruto had to admire his aunt's courage. To say something like that directly the Damiyo himself and with such a fierce gaze was not something even he could imagine pulling off. The Damiyo's family didn't look pleased and the Senjus looked ready to explode.

 _So much for negotiations._

"You're right. Words don't settle wars, **but marriages do** "

Naruto and Tsunade both froze at the same time as the Damiyo looked at them pointedly before announcing,

 _"I, Raiga Minamoto, Damiyo of the Land of Fire hereby announce a marriage pact between the Uchiha and Senju clan"_


	16. Winds of Change

**Thank you for the support. Hope you continue it.**

 **One more chapter to go before the end of this arc.**

 **Music Recommendation (Listen to it at the last part of this chapter): What will you do when you're not saving the world by Hans Zimmer, you can find it on Youtube. Trust me, it will be worth it if you listen to this music while reading the last part.**

 **Chapter 16**

 **Winds of Change**

* * *

Tajima sat in his tent that was located in the center of their army camp situated near the river. It was barely a two hours journey that could allow his 10,000 strong army to reach the Capital and raze it to the ground. After reading what he had, his heart wanted nothing more than to burn the city and all its residents to ashes.

In front of him, Madara looked about to ready to explode and with good reason because under the pretense of simple negotiations, the Senjus had strong armed them with the Damiyo's help.

He looked at his only sister and couldn't help but feel more sorry for her and his own son as well.

"On the Damiyo's suggestion, Hashirama has agreed to marry Tsunade Senju to Naruto. The Damiyo wanted the girl to marry Madara to keep this peace unbreakable since he would be the Uchiha leader in the future, but Hashirama somehow managed to prevent that. That's a good thing because Madara is not _relationship material_ " said Naori with an amused snort,

She grimaced when neither her brother or nephew laughed because they saw right through her facade.

"In return, they want you to marry Hashirama" pointed Tajima bitterly,

Not only was Naori quite a few years older than the Senju boy who claimed himself as a clanhead, but Tajima would rather marry a street urchin himself rather than pawn off his dear sister to those monsters. She was his last sibling and after his wife he had loved her more than he had ever loved either of his sons combined.

She must have seen his feelings clearly as she came forward and laid a hand on his shoulder.

"They know how much we mean to each other and it will guarantee that Tsunade will remain safe until I remain the same. The Damiyo has also proposed building a military village on his expense where our two clans and allies shall reside in a few years. All factions shall receive work from the royal court and in return we swear fealty to the royal family. _Every clan_ " emphasized Naori patiently,

"We will _not_ bend" said Madara darkly, receiving a sharp look from his aunt.

"What happens to things that don't bend, _Madara?_ "

Before the boy could answer, it was Tajima who cut him off with a stern glance.

"What are you implying?" asked Tajima seriously, knowing there was more to this mess.

Naori sighed but came forward with the truth nonetheless.

"If we refuse this offer we are going to be charged with **treason**. The Damiyo has threatened to call his armies and ally himself with the Senjus. Together they will _butcher_ us till there is not a single one of us or our supporters left"

The sheer hatred that arrived in Tajima's eyes was enough to make his sister gulp. Her brother had never forgiven the Senjus for what they did to his family and if he went forward with this then the sister he loved more than anyone else would be held as a hostage for the rest of her life. The revenge he had been waiting for his entire life was about to snatched right out of his hands.

"They have already sent us a warning message" said Tajima furiously, and watched as Madara stepped forward.

"They prevented my brother from approaching us to explain this offer and instead only sent my aunt. They might have tried to hide their deception behind colorful words but I know they are holding my brother hostage. Even if he was comfortably living in the palace, his life is in danger. Father, give me the men and I will put an end to this once and for all" requested Madara, determination and anger burning brightly in his dark eyes.

"Madara..."

Naori's attempt to calm him down only earned her a fierce stare from the boy. But behind that anger and hatred, she also saw something she had never expected to see from Madara so openly. Alteast for her...

 _"I will not sell my family!"_

Despite the situation, both Tajima and Naori were proud to hear those words from Madara. They knew he was not as refined or cunning as Naruto, but he had an invaluable quality.

Madara was **_loyal_** to his family, his clan, his allies and he would defend them to the death no matter the odds.

"Madara, you are proposing we rise in _open rebellion_ against the **Fire Shadow** himself?" asked Tajima seriously, wanting to be absolutely sure that this was not some outburst by the boy out of anger.

Both elders stared at the young Uchiha as he silently contemplated that question. It took him a few long moments and in that time both elders saw what they needed to say and they knew Madara's answer before the boy even said it outloud.

"Yes"

Tajima got up from his chair and walked towards his son as his sister did the same. They both stepped around the boy and all three looked at each other.

"Our best bet is to storm the capital and eliminate the royal family. If possible take Hashirama and his family hostage, if we can achieve that then the Senjus and their allies will bend the knee" suggested Naori,

"Madara don't forget what the Damiyo has done in the past to ninja clans that have opposed him" warned Tajima,

"He burned their homes, butchered their men, raped the women, and slit the children's throats" recalled Madara grimly, aware of what Raiga Minamoto was capable of in his younger days and the years passed had not made the man any kinder.

He didn't have the men needed for a complete victory, but if he accepted this deal then there would never be any hope for the Uchihas again. They would forever be enslaved to a common merchant and be forced to play nice with an enemy they had battled for thousands of years.

But still...

"It is better to die on our feet than to forget _who we are_ " said Madara honestly, and saw Naori stare at him worriedly.

"If you lose...your father dies, your brother dies, your people die, **we all die** " warned Naori gravely, earning a grim nod from her brother as well.

Madara looked at his father and even if he didn't say it, he saw his father would support whatever choice he made. Tajima knew their chances were slim but they had no choice but to fight. The other option was even worse than being defeated by Senjus in battle.

Madara knew that if he did this then it was he and his brother who would lead their armies. Their people would look up to them, more towards Madara because they considered him _invincible_. Going up against Hashirama and the Senjus was one challenge, going up against the Senjus and the Damiyo both was _suicide_.

Fortunately, Madara had not been sane enough to begin with which made him grin wolfishly.

"Well, that makes it simple then..."

Tajima and Naori could only grin at that statement for they had expected nothing less from Madara.

* * *

(Capital)

Shisui and the other members of the Kinsguard watched Naruto demolish his own shadow clones in brutal combat. His anger was clear for all of them to see, they all had heard Tsunade's outrageous scream across the entire castle after what was proposed but on the other hand Naruto had gone deathly silent. Unlike the Senju Princess, he was never prone to overtly display his emotions for all to see and decided to channel his anger in a productive manner.

Mikoto worriedly stared at the man she loved and felt helpless on seeing him go through this suffering. Her only consolation was the fact that Naruto was opposed to this marriage even more than her. It threatened to destroy all their plans for their future and not just the Uchiha's.

Still, even she could understand the Uchiha's didn't have many options.

Their group had already sealed off this training area from any intruders and placed silencing seals that would prevent anyone from eavesdropping. Not that they needed to because Naruto was in no mood to talk.

They watched him battle against his army of clones for an entire hour and only stopped when the last one died by his sword. He was panting harshly with his entire body covered in sweat, but his anger was yet to subside even a little.

However, that didn't stop any of them from approaching their friend and leader.

"What are we going to do?"

Nobody was more thankful to Itachi for his direct approach now more than ever for neither Naruto or any of them were willing to go through any pleasantries or fake reassurances.

Naruto didn't answer at first, lost in his own thoughts but a light cough from Kagami made him finally look at his friends.

"I know what my brother will do" whispered Naruto,

 _"Rebellion"_

Itachi's accurate assessment was met with a grim nod by Naruto and knowing him, Naruto would follow Madara to hell itself. If Madara chose war, the Uchihas and Naruto would back him until their dying breath.

The consequences be damned.

None of them missed how worried Naruto was. This could be the event that would either shape the Uchiha's future or destroy it all together. All of them had always looked at him for leadership, but today he needed them.

Fortunately, Shisui had always came through for Naruto more than the other Kinsguard members. So, when he stepped forward Naruto looked at his best friend with hope in his eyes.

"The way I see it, our only chance at victory is taking the Capital and eliminating the royal family. Our army has more men than what the Senjus and Damiyo have inside the Capital. If we take this city before the Damiyo can call for his armies from across the country, then we can win" suggested Shisui,

"How can we do that?" asked Naruto curiously,

"We have Tobirama whom we can use as hostage to make the Senjus back down and retreat from the Capital. But it is not a sure bet, so I suggest we take another one of them as our prisoner" suggested Itachi,

"Who?" questioned Takeshi seriously, already willing to go ahead with this plan.

"Tsunade or Kawarama, whichever idiot is easy. The girl's a hot-head and the boy a weakling, if we have more than one of Hashirama's siblings as hostage then he will be forced to run away from the Capital and leave the Damiyo behind. We can then take the city..." implied Itachi,

"There is one problem. How do we allow our armies to rush in? The walls are chakra proof, the gates are even stronger and breaking through those seals will take a lot of time which would allow the Damiyo time to call for his armies. If that happens, then we will be surrounded from _both sides_ waiting to be butchered" warned Kagami,

Shisui and Itachi glanced at each other knowingly, something which was not missed by the others. Those two boys had always been the sharpest among their group and it seemed they had even thought of this problem.

"The Damiyo has nearly 4000 soldiers in this city, all of whom will be on guard until we submit to the offer. They are on high alert right now and will notice immediately if we make any move. That is not even counting the 3000 Senju forces inside the city. If Madara wants to take this city, then we cannot do it with brutal force alone" advised Itachi,

"Then what do you propose?" asked Naruto hesitantly,

"The only way the city will be unprepared for a surprise attack will be in the event of the wedding actually taking place. I am not saying you have to go through with it but if our enemies are busy enjoying the celebrations, so will the soldiers and the civilians. They will believe they have broken us and that is when we will strike" proposed Itachi seriously,

"What's the plan?" asked Kagami and Mikoto in unison,

Naruto and everyone listened as both Itachi and Shisui explained their action plan to them. It was bold and extremely risky with a good chance of them all ending up dead before Madara even breached the city gates with his army. There was also another problem, if the wedding was actually happening then it was expected of Tajima and Madara to attend it. Same was the case for all the other clan heads of the Uchiha faction. No amount of excuses would suffice for their absence and it might just give the plan away entirely.

Still, both Shisui and Itachi expressed faith in their group and the 500 fighters their faction had brought to the Capital. They didn't have to capture the entire city but only accomplish few key objectives with precision and speed. There would be no room for error because the punishment was death.

By the time the two boys finished explaining the plan, every Kinsguard was on board.

They all knew what the risks were and they knew the consequences of their actions. But they were all good and loyal fighters and were willing to support their clan from forever submitting to the clutches of an _abusive_ Damiyo who was forcing his power down their throats.

Today, it was this marriage. Tomorrow, it would fighting the Damiyo's wars for him with other smaller nations or just doing his dirty jobs so that his family could remain in power. And it would only keep on getting worse and worse until the Uchihas forgot who they were.

If the Senjus wanted to bow to such a man, they were free to do so but the dragons were **_not_** going to.

Shisui saw Naruto's hands were shaking, a phenomenon which had never happened before.

"Are you afraid?" asked Shisui seriously, looking at all his friends.

Naruto nodded and was relieved to see similar expressions visible on the faces of his remaining friends as they all looked at Shisui who nodded at them approvingly.

"Good. Because then we all know what's at stake..."

* * *

Naruto walked through the small training area inside the Castle and was pleased to find his friend sleeping under a tree. It had taken great persuasion to even get the Damiyo to allow Kurama inside his home. But he somehow managed to convince the man, because knowing that his friend was near gave him some confidence.

Still, he was nervous for the first time in his life with his friend.

The beast was staring at him as he approached, its calculative demonic eyes following his every move and reaction. When he finally stepped before Kurama, the fox said only four words.

 **"You're going to war"**

After all the years they had spent beside each other, Naruto was not even surprised of the fact that his friend realized his thoughts without him ever saying it. There was no use denying what Kurama just said, and he had never lied to his friend before.

He was not going to start now.

"Yes" he confessed honestly, making the beast sigh.

 **"Would it be too bad if you accepted this offer? I know it's not perfect-"**

Kurama abruptly stopped speaking when he noticed something different in Naruto's eyes. He looked closely at his friend and saw he was not doing this out of spite or vengeance. The boy honestly believed he had no choice.

"Will you fight with me?" asked Naruto seriously, making the fox clench its jaw.

 **"I loved Ashura too, you know. His children are as much my family as you are mine. If I do this, then I am agreeing to be a part of slaughtering an entire half of the family of a man who gave me life"** confessed Kurama,

Somewhere in his heart Naruto had always known Kurama didn't share the hatred for Senjus that Naruto had. The fox was certainly not sympathetic to them but it didn't mean he wanted to kill them all.

"My family will _not_ bow to this Damiyo who is abusing his power" said Naruto honestly, earning a snort from the fox.

 **"And you think your people will not do the same if they win? No, they'll do** _worse_ **. You'll kill the Senjus to the last child..."** replied Kurama furiously,

Naruto wanted to refuse that accusation but knowing his family, especially his brother and all they had went through...he knew they were going to kill every last Senju even if it meant extermination of the Uchihas themselves.

There was no victory here but only death and suffering.

 **"Your clan and all your supporters will die or get decimated brutally even if you somehow win. You will have your revenge but there will be no one left to share that satisfaction with..."** warned Kurama, and remained calm when the boy growled furiously.

" _What do you want me to do?_ My family is going to war, I know it. And I cannot stand back and let them die, they have been there for me all my life. Most of all, I _swore_ a vow to defend my people no matter what. I am not going back on my word even if it means my death" answered Naruto bitterly, his fists clenching shut.

 **"Tell me something..."**

Naruto paused when he heard the grave voice of his friend and when he looked into those eyes he saw Kurama was worried. Something which had never happened before...

 **"Do you want to kill all the Senjus?"**

"I want Tobirama to die and the Senjus to pay for what they did to my brothers" said Naruto angrily,

 **"That is not the answer to my question"** reminded Kurama patiently,

Naruto paused and intensely stared at his friend who looked back at him without a flinch. Somehow, the beast knew what was in Naruto's heart and he was forcing him to say it outloud.

" **If** they bend the knee...I will _accept_ their surrender and put an end to this war" confessed Naruto,

 **"Why?"** demanded Kurama, wanting to be absolutely sure that the boy knew what he was getting into.

''I know what war has taken from my family. Truthfully, if Uchiha and Senju fight like Madara and my father want them too then we both shall be decimated. I want to end this war but I will **_not_** betray _my family, my liege lord, and my brother_ for that. I will make Madara see reason so that he doesn't kill all the Senjus, he will listen to me" argued Naruto,

Kurama did not share the boy's confidence. Naruto was a good person but he had a great weakness.

 _Loyalty._

It was that same loyalty that made him become a Kinslayer, the same one that kept him fighting for the Uchihas despite all the hatred and scorn he faced, and the same loyalty that would make him fight for Madara in this bloody war.

 **"Your loyalty will kill you someday, Naruto"** said Kurama sadly,

"I know" agreed Naruto with a melancholic smile arriving on his lips,

Kurama's heart wept for the one friend he had gained in such a long time. Naruto had never asked him for anything, defended him even when there was no need, most of all he had given Kurama respect.

When he looked in the boy's eyes he knew that the boy was well aware of what was going to happen.

 _Naruto was going to die._

The Uchihas for all their power did not have the numbers to defeat the Damiyo and Senjus both, most of all if Madara assaulted the city then Naruto would be the first do die. The boy was strong but he was surrounded by thousands of enemy fighters, not to mention Hashirama himself. His death would be swift and brutal which would only cause Madara to go mad with grief and destroy any chance of peace between the two clans.

Why did his only friend have to be an Uchiha?

"I will not force you to fight for me" promised Naruto,

Kurama could only growl in frustration. They both knew the fox could not watch his only friend die no matter the reason.

"But if you don't...then I want you to do something for me" requested Naruto, making Kurama stare at him curiously.

 **"What is it?"** asked the fox,

"You remember Shizuka?"

Kurama nodded at that question and saw a pained yet happy look arrive in his friend's eyes.

 _"Even if the tree burns, one branch shall survive"_

Kurama's eyes widened as he understood what Naruto was truly implying. The boy was going to be a father...

"Look after them" whispered Naruto pleadingly,

With one last smile, Naruto turned around and started walking away. Kurama felt a lump in his throat and his vision suddenly felt blurry, his heart threatened to drown in grief on watching his only friend march to his death. What made it worse that Naruto knew he was probably going to die...

 _Damn those Uchiha!_

 **"Wait"**

Naruto stopped and turned around as the fox came walking towards him. There was a fire in the beast's eyes, one full of love and determination which touched Naruto's heart.

"I will fight for you. But on _two conditions_..." said Kurama seriously,

Naruto gulped. Kurama was more powerful than the entire Uchiha army combined, if the fox supported him then taking this city would be a lot easier than before. With Kurama, he could actually take on Hashirama.

But he also saw the beast wanted something from him in return for this invaluable help.

"I'm listening..."

 **"You will marry Tsunade Senju"**

Naruto was about to explode when one murderous glare from Kurama made him restrain himself. He still glared at his friend furiously, the fox knew how much he despised this decision and he was forcing Naruto to make it regardless.

 **"And you will convince Madara to spare the Senjus and their allies if they surrender. That includes Hashirama's entire family, including Tobirama. Promise me that on your honor"** demanded Kurama seriously,

Kurama had never seen Naruto look at him _so furiously_ but he didn't back down from that fight. He loved this boy and could not let him die, but at the same time he had promised the Sage that he would look after his family.

 _Both families._

If those two morons wanted to fight, then Kurama had to make sure the fools didn't kill each other. Gods, this generation was as worse as Indra and Ashura.

But then again he should have expected this. Their war had gone on for thousands of years and unless one was defeated or bent the knee, it was not going to end no matter what. The best Kurama could do was save these two stupid clans from total annihilation.

He knew that meant that he would have to kill Senjus which would take a toll on his consciousness. It was not a small sacrifice and the boy knew it. At the same time, the beast had asked something equally priceless from the boy.

 _Letting go of his revenge._

 _And accepting a hated enemy as his wife._

For the first time, Shizuka's words came back to haunt Naruto...

 _There will be three instances in your life where you will have to make choices that will not only determine your future but that of the world._

Naruto knew how important Kurama's support was, the beast could save the lives of hundreds of his people. But he would not fight unless he had those promises from Naruto. Both were against everything Naruto had ever wanted...

Marrying Tsunade was like a bitter pill, but _sparing_ Tobirama?

It was like grabbing a dagger and stabbing himself in the heart.

But if he didn't do this, then his family...

"I will marry her"

Kurama felt relieved on hearing those words and ignored the raw fury in Naruto's eyes. The fox knew he was breaking the boy's heart but someday he would thank him for it.

 **"And Tobirama?"** questioned Kurama seriously, and saw Naruto literally shaking with fury.

"I will _spare_ his life if he surrenders, same goes for the rest of the Senjus" replied Naruto bitterly,

Kurama knew what it must have taken from Naruto to make that last promise. It had literally been Naruto's only goal to avenge Izuna, but at the same time he wanted to keep his remaining family alive. If it meant letting go of his revenge, then he would do it.

It was why Naruto was different from his clan, he shared many of their traits but he was not totally consumed by his hatred.

He could be made to see reason.

But damn if Kurama had not utterly pissed off the boy for never had the boy looked at him with so much _bitterness_ present in his eyes.

 **"Naruto..."**

 _''Damn you for forcing me into this position"_

Kurama felt ashamed as his friend furiously walked away. There were times when they both were irritated with each other, but never had Naruto been disappointed in him. Seeing that look in his friend's eyes had hurt Kurama and the fox knew he deserved it for he had taken from Naruto the one thing he had desired most.

If it was any other Uchiha, Kurama would never have believed their promise of letting go of revenge.

But Naruto always kept his promises no matter what happened.

Kurama hoped the boy would do so again.

For in return, the fox was going to help the Uchihas.

Something he had never imagined doing even in his wildest dreams.

* * *

Tsunade had been sitting petulantly in one of the training grounds. Her attempt to make her brother back down from the marriage proposal hadn't worked. She had raged and screamed, threatened to rip his head off but Hashirama had not backed down. He had looked at her with such a cold gaze and ordered her to do her duty towards their clan just as he was doing his by marrying an Uchiha woman older than him, and one who hated him even more than Tsunade hated the Kinslayer.

Thinking about that man made her heart fill with fear and disgust.

Naruto Uchiha was a handsome man with a good humor. He was strong and powerful, had more sense than any other Uchiha she had ever seen.

But it were the things he had done which she couldn't stand.

He had killed his own people...men, women, even _little children_. She didn't care what reasons he had but nothing could justify that massacre. Even if those who died were Uchiha, she could not help but loathe him for his cowardice. What kind of man did such a cruel thing to his own people?

If Naruto was capable of such atrocities on his own, then she didn't need to be a genius to figure out what he would do to _her_. She knew he was smart enough not to hurt her physically and she could take him on if he dared, but he wouldn't do it because it would endanger Naori and from what she had seen between those two, Naruto actually cared about her. _A lot._

But it didn't mean he would stop himself from making her a life a living hell.

She would be surrounded by Uchiha, in the midst of a clan who hated her very guts, a husband who despised her, and a constant threat to her life for the rest of her days. She didn't know if she could handle that...

She loved her clan, her family... _but this was just too much._

Hashirama was so desperate for peace that he was unable to see the dangers to this plan. The Damiyo was all for it because he was the one who benefited most from this arrangement. That man didn't give a shit about Tsunade, Naruto, Hashirama, or Naori. He only cared about himself...

Itama had also agreed with Hashirama much to her betrayal. It had gotten to a point where she couldn't even look at her brothers despite how much she loved them.

Her only brother who would have thrashed this plan and beaten some sense into Hashirama was currently a prisoner of those bloody Uchihas.

Silent tears fell from her eyes as she remembered her time with Tobirama. Her second eldest brother was not a man of many words and often preferred silence. But he had always looked after her, Tobirama had always been a realist unlike her other brothers. He knew there could be no peace with the Uchiha.

 _Two swords could not exist together._

It was Tobirama who had insisted that Tsunade stay back and not participate in the mission to retake the Yamanaka territories. She had been so angry at him for considering her weak and even called him selfish. But her brother had just stared at her calmly and told her it was too risky to send so many members of their family into one battle.

And he was right because if she had gone with him, there might have been a good chance they would be sharing the same cell together and Hashirama wouldn't be in such a good position to negotiate.

Gods only knew what those red eyed bastards had done to her brother? He was alive, that was for certain. But had they fed him properly? Tendered to his wounds? Were they torturing him in different ways, for she knew there were means other than physical torture and the Uchihas were expert in that.

 _She missed her brother so much..._

Her tearful eyes caught sight of someone watching her from the nearby watch tower. Her gaze hardened as she recognized the man in golden armor. His eyes were sad even more so than hers and whatever anger he had was subdued behind a stoic face. She knew he was against this as much as her, rumors were he had a mistress he loved dearly.

Not only was she marrying a man she hated, but also someone who already loved another woman?

It was the worst possible nightmare she could have ever dreamed of.

So both helpless souls just stared at each other...

* * *

Madara sat in the makeshift command tent surrounded by his father and aunt as well as all the lords and ladies of every allied clan. They were all in an uproar as Madara explained the Damiyo's offer or rather _command_ to them.

He had not concealed anything from them and told them what his plan was. He even informed them about the military village that the Damiyo wanted to build which had caused another uproar among all the clans. They all served the Fire Shadow in one way or another but if they accepted this then they would be _permanent slaves._

Nobody could understand why the Senjus were so desperate to lose their independence to a common merchant proclaiming himself royalty. But the Uchihas and their allies were in no mood for such decision.

Tajima had told them of their slim chances and what it could mean if they failed. The implications were disastrous...

It had led to another lengthy discussion of searching other avenues ranging from getting aid from the Damiyo of another nation, hiring mercenaries, and many more. All of those options would take a lot of time, money and resources. None of which the Uchihas had in abundance...

The Uchihas and their allies had decent wealth but nothing that could help them topple off the extremely rich Damiyo and the well to do Senjus and their allies. All they had were 10,000 highly trained ninjas and Madara.

They could still muster up another 5,000-6,000 fighters but that force would be made up of very young children barely able to lift swords, crippled men and women, and even civilians from their lands. Against a trained army, that force would be decimated.

Madara had vetoed that option solely for the fact that his brothers had been children when they were thrust into wars and he would not allow anymore of his people's children to die like his brothers had. But he also knew that if they lost, then those same children would be butchered. It made him steel his resolve for failure was not an option.

"We should support the Damiyo's brother. He has a lot of influence and can help us topple the _pompous bastard!_ " proposed one of the Namikaze,

 **"He's a bigger cunt!"**

Even Madara couldn't help but smirk on hearing that statement from one of his bannermen. It was true that the Damiyo had other main and branch family members with influence who wanted to topple him. But they were just as bad and would sooner or later use the Uchihas even more pervasively.

He was brought out of his musings when Tobi Shimura got up from his chair and walked towards the center...

" _My lords!_ Here's what I think about the royal family and the Senjus!" said Tobi furiously before showing the middle finger earning loud chuckles from the clan heads. Even Madara and Naori smiled, while Tajima remained silent.

Madara looked at his most loyal bannermen and saw the man stare at him first before looking at the other clan heads...

"We do _not_ bow to our enemies. We do not kiss the **_arse_** of a _bloody civilian_ " roared Tobi, earning another loud approval from the clan heads.

"It was the dragons we bowed to. And the dragons are _still here_ "

Madara stiffened when he saw Tobi unleash his sword and point it straight at him.

" _There sits the only leader I will ever bow to_. **THE FIRST HOKAGE!** " yelled Tobi passionately, the man knelt before Madara and placed his sword before the Uchiha boy.

Tajima and Naori's eyes widened on hearing those words. Their stupefied faces watched as Madara got up from his chair as Rei Namikaze stepped forward. Both her and Tobi had went to the Capital with Naruto but were forced to go back to the camp on Naruto's orders as the boy had insisted they protect his aunt from any enemies hiding on the road. Now they were glad, they had followed that order.

" _Fuck the cunt of a Damiyo! Fuck the craven Senjus!_ **THE FIRST HOKAGE!** " declared Rei, as she unleashed her sword and knelt before Madara placing her weapon before him.

Shin Aburame got up from his chair and stepped before Madara. Unlike the previous two clan heads, he was not so boisterous but his steely eyes looked at Madara. Despite their reserved nature, the Aburame's made up a third of the Uchiha forces.

"The Aburame clan has followed you for years. We shall follow you to victory or death" pledged Shin quietly, before kneeling before Madara. Unlike the others he had no sword but the gesture was enough.

Saeko Kurama unleashed her own sword and looked at Madara proudly, **"THE FIRST HOKAGE!"**

Madara watched in silent fascination as the entire command tent erupted with loud cheers as every clan head rose up for him and knelt. He looked at his father and aunt, they both smiled at him and he could see they had placed their hopes in him.

He looked at his bannermen, they were still shouting at the top of their voices. In their eyes he saw faith and loyalty, _they believed in him..._

He stood taller and more straighter looking them all in the eye, assuring them that their faith in him was not misplaced and allowed the cheers to wash over him...

 _ **"THE FIRST HOKAGE!"**_

 _ **"THE FIRST HOKAGE!"**_

 _ **"THE FIRST HOKAGE!"**_


	17. The One Who Cared

**It's going to take me one or two more chapters to finish this arc.**

 **I'd also like to say that there are indeed many other elements like GOT, other fictions and Naruto which I have combined to form this story as they are a perfect fit for the clan wars era. You don't like it, don't bloody well read it. And from this point on, I'm gonna be focusing on my other stories as well so updates are going to slow down.**

 **You are free to think what you want, but I am happy with the way I am writing my story.**

 **Thank you for the support. Hope you continue it.**

 **Chapter 17**

 **The One Who Cared**

* * *

He watched a couple of young children splashing and playfully laughing inside one of the swimming pools of the Castle. Their laughter and bright smiles calmed down his anxious heart as he observed them from the top of one of the towers. Those eyes were full of so much joy, hope and innocence. None of them had any idea as to what the world was really like.

Unlike the stories they were told, there were no heroes in real life. Only skilled monsters who killed each other one after another. In most cases without any just reason and only for the sake of killing.

Watching these children couldn't help but make Naruto think about the thousands of other ones residing in this city. Not to forget the thousands of parents...mothers, fathers, grandparents, aunts, uncles. These people couldn't fight a ninja army, had no say in the political rivalries of the royal court, but were the ones who suffered most because of it.

Nobody cared about what happened to them. Not the Damiyo, not the ninja clans or the soldiers...

He knew perfectly well as to what would happen to these people if Madara came to the city.

 _They would all burn._

The men would be killed, the women raped or taken slaves and the children could only watch helplessly as their families and life were destroyed before their very eyes.

The Damiyo and his forces would fight back viciously, the Senjus will retaliate in full force making the Uchihas return the favor with thrice the passion. It would be a bloodbath of a monumental scale, and gods forbid if he had to unleash Kurama to save his clan...

He knew what the beast was fully capable of. It could raze this city to ashes in ten seconds and kill everyone in it. Even if Kurama tried to fight carefully, it would still not stop thousands of innocent civilians from getting caught in the crossfire.

"You've got that look in your eyes again"

He turned sideways and was surprised to see his friend Itachi staring at him with his usual stoic and all knowing gaze. Itachi had always been a man of few words, but he had an uncanny ability to understand people. Naruto was no exception...

"What look?" asked Naruto with an amused smile, as Itachi stepped beside him and observed the playing children.

"The look that says that I am about to do something incredibly brave or stupid" answered Itachi frankly,

Naruto wryly smiled at that blunt statement, Itachi had never been one for mincing words. And his friend was not wrong so he could not refute what he said or risk having to lie to him, something which Naruto didn't want.

"Our ancestors ruled the world. They taught the ninja arts, maintained peace across the lands until the war between Indra and Ashura broke out. Then everything changed..." whispered Naruto sadly,

"What are you saying?" asked Itachi curiously,

"Our people have always said that we are the _rightful_ rulers of this world. That we were usurped, that all the clans and civilians should bow to us because we are superior. We have the royal blood in us, we have the power and mind to rule, but are we _truly_ good rulers? In fact, I don't even know what a good ruler is..." admitted Naruto worriedly,

Itachi remained silent as he pondered over those honest words while staring at the playing children and then at the vast Capital before them. Looking at it, he could finally understand what his friend was worried about.

"I think you already know the answer, Naruto" said Itachi with a small smile,

"I have to destroy something _truly great_. And I have to send _thousands of innocents_ to their deaths, a good ruler would **_never_ ** do that to his people" said Naruto bitterly, clenching his fists around the stone wall of the tower.

"This is a time of war, my friend" pointed Itachi, but Naruto shook his head fiercely.

"Then how are we any better than the Senjus? If we do not care about the lives of our people but only about our rights alone, then the Uchiha are not fit to rule" said Naruto bitterly,

"That is the way of the world" said Itachi calmly, making Naruto snarl.

 **"THEN IT'S BLOODY WRONG!"** yelled Naruto furiously, his eyes ablaze with anger and shame.

Itachi was stunned by that outburst. Looking into his friend's eyes he realized Naruto didn't want to do this. He didn't want thousands to die just so his family could rule. It was the true way of gaining power, their clan's words were _Fire and Blood_ but in Naruto's eyes he saw fear for the lives of all these people who could not defend themselves.

"Your compassion will kill you someday, Naruto"

Naruto's anger subsided and a faint smile twitched across his lips for he remembered Kurama saying the same thing about his loyalty. And they were not wrong, but still...

"Better to die as who I am...then become something I am not"

Itachi stared at his friend quite intensely. He had always known despite his sarcastic humor and playful nature, there was a good heart deep inside this Uchiha. Naruto was not a perfect man and had many shortcomings, yet there was something within him that had made Itachi and many others believe in him.

Now that he remembered the past years, Naruto had always fought for his clan but at the same time he had also fought for the people of the Land of Fire. He and Shisui both believed in protecting the weak and innocent, they both believed in everything which any ninja would never do.

"You're going to do something..." realized Itachi, and stared at his friend worriedly.

Naruto simply nodded.

"May I know what that is?" asked Itachi hesitantly, making Naruto smile a little.

"Not if you want to save your ass from my brother..."

Itachi flinched. He was a fine warrior, but pissing off Madara was not something he wanted to do any time soon. However, Naruto was the man's brother and had a few liberties Itachi didn't.

''I have to act on what my own heart is telling me to, even if I am not or will never be a ruler. And I have to do what is best for _all_ our people..." confessed Naruto,

"And if you fail? If war is truly inevitable?" questioned Itachi seriously, and saw Naruto's gaze harden but he didn't look away from Itachi's piercing stare.

"Then I will do my duty as I always have"

* * *

Hashirama Senju was having breakfast with his family in the early morning. The atmosphere was tense and awkward, something which had never happened before. His sister was not even looking at him and had not talked to him for an entire day, Itama had tried to make peace between his two siblings but had failed resulting into him silently eating his food while casting hesitant glances at his two siblings.

Hashirama himself knew it would take a long time before Tsunade got over her anger, still he had to try...

"Tsu-"

Before he could finish calling her, there was a knock on their door. When he gave the permission to enter, one of his Senju guards stepped inside and bowed. The man had an apologetic look in his eyes for disturbing his leader's family at this early hour, but he did speak.

"My lord, _The Kinslayer_ is here to see you" said the guard, and Hashirama didn't miss the disgust in the man's voice no matter how much he tried to hide it.

His curiosity peaked, "Send him in"

The guard bowed before quickly walking out of the room leaving Hashirama to wonder as to why Naruto was here. So far from what he had seen, the boy had a cocky and arrogant personality. Nothing unusual among Uchihas, but behind that facade lay a truly calculative and sharp man. The Senju had seen the intelligence in those eyes, while Madara was ruled by his emotions, his younger brother had more restraint.

It still didn't cease to amaze him as to how magnificent the boy looked in his golden armor. That dragon sigil on his chest left no doubt as to who he was, the dark black cloak fluttering on his back as he walked gave him a contrasting look in comparison to his golden armor. The boy was handsome but more than that it were his eyes that always intrigued Hashirama.

The Senju head saw Tsunade brutally stab her fork over her plate while Itama nervously clenched his fists. Before his sister could start her outburst and aggravate Naruto before he even began, Hashirama sent a warning glance at his sister. She held her silence but gave him a menacing glare in return.

When Naruto finally stepped before them, Hashirama saw **Dawn** was now hanging on the boy's hip.

Hashirama gave a curt but respectful nod to his visitor, receiving the same in return.

"What brings you here, Naruto?" asked Hashirama curiously,

"I just got word from my father and brother. They have accepted the offer and will arrive shortly with all the clan heads for the wedding" informed Naruto, with not a hint of emotion visible on his blank face.

"Playing _messenger_ now, are you? That's quite beneath you, Kinslayer..." insulted Tsunade spitefully,

Itama smacked his forehead in frustration and even Hashirama groaned at his sister's blatant attempt to rile up the Uchiha when all he was doing was giving them an important message. The only proof that Naruto even heard that insult was the slight twitch of his eyebrows and that too was stopped when he noticed Hashirama stare at him apologetically.

"I am not here to play childish games, _Princess_ " replied Naruto coldly, and saw a nasty scowl arrive on the beautiful women's face.

"Good. Then get the hell out!" spat Tsunade furiously,

She flinched when Hashirama slammed his fist on the wooden table nearly make it shatter. The fierce anger in her eldest brother's eyes made her gulp.

 **"Silence"** commanded Hashirama,

Tsunade bit her lip in order to hold back another sharp reply. Her brother was a good and patient man but there were times when she really pissed him off with her fiery temper, this was one of those times.

"I apologize for her words, Lord Naruto" said Hashirama sincerely, and was intrigued when the boy shook his head.

"Every person is responsible for their actions. You don't have to apologize for the deeds of your sister" refuted Naruto honestly,

Tsunade clenched her fists at the audacity of this Uchiha. Who was he to preach such noble values when he had done so many despicable things in his life?

But her eldest brother seemed quite impressed with Naruto's words and remembering Hashirama's silent warning from before, she was forced to keep her silence.

Hashirama gracefully allowed Naruto to take a seat which the Uchiha did with slight hesitation. Before they could exchange any other pleasantries, Naruto got straight to the point.

"This is a mistake, Lord Hashirama" warned Naruto,

"Finally something we can _agree_ upon" snorted Tsunade, making her brothers sigh.

Hashirama ignored his sister knowing how hopeless she was and instead decided to listen to the most rational man in the room right now.

"Why so?" he asked the boy, and saw grim look arrive on the boy's face.

"My people and our allies will never bow to a civilian who is strong-arming us to become _slaves_ " informed Naruto,

"But you just said your people agreed to the offer" said Itama confusedly,

Naruto pursed his lips and refused to say something. But he didn't have to as Hashirama realized what the boy had not said outloud.

"They are going to attack the city..."

Hashirama's stunned revelation made his siblings stiffen before they both looked at Naruto with such hostility and anger, but the unfazed boy simply sat in his chair and only stared at Hashirama.

"I believe they will do just that" confirmed Naruto, making Hashirama grimace.

"Why are you telling me this?" asked Hashirama with a hint of suspicion now seeping into his hardened voice,

"I cannot allow the innocent people of this city to die for our feud. It was the Damiyo who started this, your clan who supported it, and the Uchiha who will end it in Fire and Blood. These civilians and their families shouldn't die for our crimes..." admitted Naruto plainly,

"Don't listen to him, brother. This could be a trap..." warned Itama hurriedly,

"I knew the Uchiha were treacherous bastards. But I never knew your clan could steep _so low._.." said Tsunade furiously,

Even in the face of those scathing insults and damning accusations, Hashirama noticed the boy never lost his cool for even a second. He simply glanced at Hashirama's siblings before looking at the Senju leader seriously.

"Why do you desire peace so much, Lord Hashirama?" asked Naruto curiously,

"Because there is only one result if our clans continue fighting. _Annihilation_ of both sides and it is something I don't want" confessed Hashirama honestly,

To his surprise, Naruto accepted his answer with a curt but respectful nod.

"I answered your question. Now I want you to answer one of mine..." said Hashirama seriously,

"Depends on the question" replied Naruto calmly, earning a tiny smirk from the Senju leader.

"Why are your people refusing this peace offer?"

Naruto's gaze hardened at that question, something which neither Hashirama or his family missed.

"We are a proud clan, Lord Hashirama. We are not as rich or influential as you and your allies, but we are strong. Despite what you believe, fighting against the Senjus is a matter of honor for us because only your people can match our prowess. We hate your people but respect your power because you _earned_ it" revealed Naruto,

Hashirama took in all that information and tried to process it, surprisingly his younger brother realized the true meaning behind the Uchiha's revolt sooner than anyone else.

''But the Damiyo has _not_ earned that respect, has he?" questioned Itama knowingly, earning a surprised nod from Naruto who had clearly not expected the shy Senju to figure out the real reason behind the revolt.

"You cannot win against the Damiyo's army, much less against our side if we join him" warned Hashirama seriously, all playfulness gone from his eyes.

"I know" agreed Naruto in a resigned voice,

"Then why?" asked Hashirama in disbelief,

"You know why..."

Hashirama found himself cursing Madara for he could be the only one behind this suicidal move. The rest of the Uchiha family, including the likes of Tajima, Naori and Naruto had far more sense than Madara.

After hearing the underlying threat of annihilation if the Uchihas rejected the marriage offer, Madara's anger would have known no bounds. Hashirama had expected that from Madara, but to think even a shrewd man like _Tajima_ would agree to this?

It was then he realized the true reason behind this move.

 **Pride.**

The Uchihas greatly valued their independence even if they paid taxes to the Damiyo because it was very rare they had to do anything for the man. But if they agreed to this, then they would lose that independence and they would never accept that.

He looked into Naruto's eyes and saw while he agreed with the sentiment, he knew it would only have one outcome for the Uchihas.

"And yet you'll fight knowing your people are making a wrong decision" said Hashirama disappointedly,

"It is not my place to make decisions. If my brother comes here and starts fighting, I will support him because he's my family" confessed Naruto,

"And yet if you're here then it could only mean you want to prevent that from happening" deduced Tsunade, earning a surprised glance from Naruto. She scoffed at him, who did he thought she was? Some pretty face with no brains?

His deadpan gaze was the answer to her internal question which made her growl earning a tiny smirk from him.

 _That infuriating bastard..._

"I'd like to avoid bloodshed if I can. I'll admit I didn't clearly think it would hurt your clan's pride and for that I apologize. But make no mistake, if your clan makes any move against my people **_I will retaliate_** " warned Hashirama, his dark eyes boring into Naruto's very soul.

The Uchiha stiffened a little on feeling the barest hint of Hashirama's killing intent, it was barely a warning but Naruto's sensory powers clearly revealed to him the true extent of Hashirama's power. It was a humbling experience to say the least...

He sighed in relief when that force vanished and Hashirama's hardened gaze softened if only a little...

"How do you propose we avoid this war?" questioned Hashirama,

"If you truly want peace with my people then rather than make them bow by force, make them see something that you are truly sincere in your desire for peace" advised Naruto,

"How?" asked Itama curiously,

"There is no way my people will ever listen to the Damiyo after what he did. Even if it kills them all, they will destroy that man and his family. It is not the most sensible thing but it is what my people will do. If you help in _smoothening_ that process without getting into any conflict with us, then it would go a long way to show the Uchiha your sincerity" explained Naruto patiently,

"You mean **rebel** against the Damiyo" said Hashirama knowingly, narrowing his eyes dangerous at the boy.

At Naruto's nod of confirmation, Hashirama could only massage his forehead. What mess had he gotten himself into?

It didn't stop Naruto from continuing.

''We are already inside the Damiyo's Castle. We have enough men if we combine our forces and take the royal family hostage. If that happens, the royal army will surrender and there will be no need for Madara to attack this city. As for my people not attacking yours after our victory, then I promise you I will make them back down" said Naruto honestly,

"And we are to take your word on that?" asked Itama in disbelief,

"Yes"

"Or else you would kill Tobirama" said Tsunade, bringing out the unsaid threat if the Senjus made any move to stop the Uchiha from going up against the Damiyo.

''Very likely" admitted Naruto, much to the surprise of the three Senjus.

Tsunade's gaze turned ice cold as she glared at the Uchiha.

"Then it's best if we have a prisoner of our own. We will join our forces with the Damiyo and knowing your brother, he will not attack as long as we hold _you_ prisoner" said Tsunade darkly,

She could only frown when Naruto stared at her amusedly.

"Trust me, if you try to attack me maybe you will succeed. But make no mistake, within minutes of that this city will **_burn_** to ashes" warned Naruto coldly,

Hashirama racked his brain in order to figure out the real reason behind Naruto's claim. The boy had 500 strong fighters inside the city and they would defend him, but it was not enough to destroy an entire city.

His eyes widened...

" _That fox..._ " said Hashirama in horror, realizing the true identity of the beast. He had heard so many stories about it in his childhood, but in those stories it had been a monumental beast capable of breaking mountains, destroying cities in an instant, and so much more.

All this time that fox had been hiding itself as a forest animal.

Now he could understand why the Uchihas were so confident in their rebellion, with a beast like that on their side they could cause untold damage on their enemies. And that beast was loyal to Naruto...

Hashirama now saw the boy in a different light. Madara was a raging fire, dangerous but easy to spot and control. But Naruto was a silent flame that threatened to burn everything Hashirama held dear.

"What about the fox, brother?" questioned Itama worriedly, even Tsunade looked alarmed as she saw all color drain from her brother's face.

She looked at the Kinslayer and staring into his eyes, she knew he had made his point. Nothing had truly terrified her eldest brother, not even facing Madara.

But right now he looked as if he was about to _piss_ himself which made Tsunade gulp.

 _"Don't be afraid"_ said Naruto,

Those words were meant to be reassuring if not for the cold smirk on Naruto's lips and the dangerous look in his eyes that actually showed her what the beast was capable of if Naruto allowed him to run amok. Tsunade now understood why many feared this man.

Naruto was a complicated man, even an interesting one, but it also made him a dangerous man.

Something which he just proved to Tsunade's family.

"What is your true goal, Naruto Uchiha?" asked Hashirama dreadfully, making the boy give a cunning smile in return.

"I am not interested in these petty feuds. What I truly want..." said Naruto seriously as he got up from his chair and walked towards the wall where the map of the ninja world was placed.

Hashirama and his siblings followed the Uchiha and soon stepped beside.

"What do you want?' they asked in unison, staring at the map with curiosity and fear in their heart's.

Naruto's cold smile was enough to stop their hearts momentarily.

"What I want for our people is not just the Land of Fire, but..."

He placed his hand on the entire map and crumbled it in his hand, his eyes were full of determination and ambition.

 _"The Kingdom of Ninjas"_

Hashirama was stunned.

It was true both the ancestors of Uchiha and Senju had ruled the entire world before their war broke out. They were the strongest clans in the world and could muster up a great army if they joined together. Nobody could stop them if they united.

He could only stare at Naruto with stunned silence, unable to believe what this boy was truly capable of. He was ambitious, but not for his himself. He cared about people including civilians and had the cunning to even make Hashirama respect and fear him.

His next words only strengthened Hashirama's respect and fear of the boy,

"So either we can continue our bitter feud, or take back what is rightfully _ours_ " said Naruto seriously,

"What about revenge against my family?" asked Hashirama daringly, looking Naruto right in the eye for even the slightest sign of deceit.

The boy sighed as he clenched his fists.

"I don't want to kill all of your people, Hashirama. I hate Tobirama for killing my brother and would have killed him no matter what happened if I hadn't made a promise to someone that I would spare his life. So no, if you stop fighting against my family then I will _not_ cause any harm to yours" promised Naruto bitterly,

Tsunade was stunned. An Uchiha who was actually willing to set aside his revenge? Not only was it impossible but something which only Naruto's grandfather had tried to do before, and that man got a very bad punishment in return for his sincerity in seeking peace.

Yet here was Naruto willing to take another chance.

Had she been wrong in judging this man? Was her prejudice due to his past actions stopping her from seeing him for who he truly was? She had heard all about other people's story on why Naruto killed his people, but she had never heard his side and for the first time it made her feel guilty.

Before she could ponder more on this matter, Hashirama broke the silence.

"You are asking me to place a lot of trust in you and your people, Naruto" said Hashirama cautiously, earning a nod from the Uchiha.

"A risk which my family shall equally share, Lord Hashirama" replied Naruto, earning a grim nod from Hashirama.

He looked at Itama and Tsunade only to see they were conflicted, Hashirama was no better so he looked at the Senju clan head one last time.

"Think about my offer. Either we'll meet in my chambers to discuss terms or on the battlefield. I hope you make a wise choice, Lord Hashirama. Now, have a good day..." said Naruto respectfully,

He was about to walk away when he heard Hashirama call out his name, turning back he saw all three Senjus staring at him seriously.

"Our people may take time in trusting each other. But if I am to go forward with this, then I have to atleast trust the _person_ who brought me this offer in the first place" explained Hashirama, earning a nod from Naruto.

"What can make you trust me?" asked Naruto sincerely,

"I want to know who Naruto Uchiha truly is"

His brow furrowed as he saw Hashirama staring at him intensely. The Senju clan head was quite serious...

"How can I make that happen?'' questioned Naruto,

His breath nearly stopped when he recognized the look in Hashirama's eyes...

 _"Why did you do it?"_


	18. Kinslayer

**Thank you for the support. Hope you continue it.**

 **Music Recommendation for this Chapter: Peter Gabriel- Running to the train (Youtube)**

 **Chapter 18**

 **Kinslayer**

* * *

Naruto stood still unable to accept what was just asked of him. In front of his eyes, he saw flashes pass by one after another. He could hear every scream tear through his heart, all that blood staining his skin even now. His hands slightly trembled as the memory of what he did that night came back to haunt him.

He had sworn never to say the truth to anyone, sworn that he would take that secret to his grave bearing the curse.

And yet in the eyes of all three Senjus, he saw only one thing...

They wanted the truth.

It was his darkest secret, one even more important than the existence of his unborn children with Shizuka. If he revealed it to anyone, it could very likely tear his clan apart.

But if he didn't then it was almost certain that his people would die fighting against both the Daimyo and Senjus.

 _Kinslayer_

He could still hear that voice calling him that and he cursed himself for getting into this situation for there was no going back now. He had laid out all the cards and his opponent had called him on it. Now it was time to pay...

He could refuse but it would undermine his credibility and destroy any chance of the Senjus laying faith in him.

He inwardly laughed on even thinking that such a moment would come where he would be desperate to get the Senjus to trust him when all his life he had wanted nothing more than to make them pay for killing his brothers.

Life was certainly a roller coaster ride, at least in his case.

"I need a drink" he whispered hesitantly,

It was barely morning and he wanted to dull his senses, but he could figure out no other way where he could tell the Senjus what they wanted to hear. There was no way in hell a sober version of him was going to tell them even a quarter of the truth.

Thankfully, Hashirama didn't question or even rebuke his demand and simply ordered one of his people to get the finest wine or sake available at the earliest. Naruto was more than relieved for the fact that he had skipped breakfast today, it would only allow him to get drunk faster.

It was a risk because it would dull his senses, and if the Senjus decided to kill him then they could bloody well do it.

But they wouldn't...

Because if he died here, then it wouldn't matter who killed him or why. Madara would burn this entire city with everyone in it and murder Tobirama in the cruelest ways known to man...

His brother's anger sometimes even terrified him, and after what he was about to do it would not just be Madara but his father and aunt who would all be pissed at him. _Greatly._

Still, there was no going back now so he took a seat on the couch as the Senju family took up seats on the one on his opposite. The guard luckily brought two fine bottles of both wine and sake, he knew drinking both of them together was a bad idea but frankly, he didn't care right now.

While he had his drinks and felt his senses dull more and more, his audience maintained a respectful silence and made every effort not to stare at him too openly. Although he did see Tsunade getting a little disappointed on seeing him finish his two bottles and the effects kicking in so soon.

He stored that information for later, maybe someday he could engage the Senju princess in a drinking contest. If they became allies, then that had a great possibility of happening.

Even with his dulled senses, he aimlessly stared across the room seeing faces he never thought he would see again. The bright red walls only seemed to remind him of all the crimson blood that had been shed that night.

Finally, he mustered all the courage he had and hesitantly looked at the three Senjus who if his drunken mind was seeing right were quite eager to listen.

"It all started after our victory at the Great Tama river..."

* * *

 _(Flashback: Ten Years Ago)_

Naruto sat in the middle of the Naka Temple surrounded by his clansmen on all sides. All of his family was here except for Madara who was currently away on another mission. The Uchihas looked to be in a good mood for they had just scored their single largest victory against the Senju in years.

And they had the Sharingan back.

He saw his father stand up making their remaining clansmen seize their chatter. Every set of eyes were now fixed on Tajima Uchiha...

"We have achieved a great victory" announced Tajima proudly, earning a loud roar of cheers.

When it finally died down, Tajima looked at his people with even more confidence and they could feel his enthusiasm as they looked back at him with hope.

"I have called you all here because it is our custom to thank the gods for giving us the strength to achieve what we did. It is true that we paid a heavy price for that..."

Nobody blamed Tajima when he took a pause for while many had lost friends and family, Tajima had lost the most with the death of his three sons. But at the same time, he had gained immense prestige and had his position secure as clan head for the rest of his life now that his last two sons had the Sharingan. In fact, Tajima's family reign was guaranteed for generations...

"But we won. So today, I seek blessings from the gods and ask you to join me" declared Tajima,

There was not a single protest from everyone as all the Uchihas rose as one before joining their leader and his family in kneeling before the statues of Amaterasu, Shinigami, Tsukiyomi, Hachiman, Izanami, Izanagi and The Dragon.

Naruto found himself intensely staring at the ancient deities, people said they were not worshiped anymore because they were old and never existed in the first place. But one look at his people showed him they didn't believe it for one second.

No matter who they were, there was not one Uchiha who didn't look a devoted person.

He remembered tales of Amaterasu, goddess of the sun.

The scary tales of Shinigami, The Death Reaper. Not one Uchiha could claim not to fear this god...

The songs of Tsukiyomi and his loyalty. The brother of Amaterasu and the God of the Moon, not to mention the Uchiha's prime god.

The courage of Hachiman, the God of War.

The twins Izanagi and Izanami, God of the Sky and Goddess of the Earth.

The Dragon, his clan's proclaimed ancestor. He didn't know if they truly existed or not, but by now most of the world believed the Uchihas to be retainers of dragon blood.

Standing before these seven gods made him feel at peace and gave him strength as he tried to suppress the feeling of missing his brothers. They would never join him in this pious task, never get to share this peace with him...

He was brought out of his musings when the prayer was finally completed and the people started getting back on their feet. Soon chatter broke out amongst the clan members and even Tajima was surrounded by people eager to talk to him.

Even Aunt Naori was swarmed by a group of women and looked to be busy...

He bit his lip and waited for any of them to look at him and was not proven wrong when Tajima beckoned him to step forward. Naruto obediently walked towards his father and saw an old man with a stern face and ice cold eyes waiting for him. His once dark hair had turned all white and his wrinkled skin made him look more like a glorified mummy.

"Meet your great-uncle, Yamamoto Uchiha"

Naruto's friendly expression vanished as that name struck home. If he remembered it correctly, then this man was one of the distant cousins of his late grandfather. When he died, this man tried to take the Uchiha leadership from Tajima but couldn't gather enough support. In retaliation, Tajima had sent his uncle away on various missions that had kept him away from home for decades.

But the resurgence of the Sharingan was a big enough event for an exile to come back.

And he certainly didn't like the way this man was looking at him. He knew that look, had often seen it enough in Inabi and Yashiro's eyes whenever Izuna had doted on him.

 _Jealousy._

Still, protocol demanded him to show this elder respect despite his past actions. So he swallowed his pride and suspicion before giving a respectful bow to the older man.

"You taught him well, Tajima, " said Yamamoto crisply,

Those words were meant as a praise yet the condescending tone left little doubt regarding the man's true feelings regarding Naruto and his family.

Fortunately, Tajima was used to something like this and simply looked at his relative calmly.

"This was a courtesy, Uncle. Since you hold an honorary seat on the elder's council it was my responsibility to inform you of our latest victory. I have done my job and I hope your stay here will be comfortable" replied Tajima,

Even Naruto could see the older man grinding his teeth in order to contain his fury because Tajima again reminded him that he was not welcome to stay any more than necessary. What made it worse was the fact that there was nothing Yamamoto could do to change that...

Realizing he couldn't hurt the Uchiha leader, the old man then turned his gaze towards Naruto and this time he didn't try to hide his true feelings.

"Show me those eyes of yours" commanded Yamamoto, and even he couldn't hide his eagerness.

"No"

Tajima smirked on seeing the gobsmacked look on his uncle's face on hearing that answer. He had clearly not expected that and he couldn't be more proud of his youngest son than he was right now. Looking at the boy, Tajima saw an icy gaze staring at Yamamoto refusing to bow to the man's blatant demands.

"Are you disrespecting an elder and a member of your family, _boy?_ " reprimanded Yamamoto harshly, if looks could kill then Naruto should have been on fire.

Tajima narrowed his eyes dangerously. It was true that things were not exactly peachy between him and Naruto, but to watch his boy be talked to like that invoked a renowned fury in him.

Certainly not from this man...

Before Tajima could come to his son's rescue, the boy took up the job himself.

"My father taught me it is treason to command your liege lord's family. You expect respect but give none in return, I hope you understand that you have _no right_ to ask anything of me. Even if you had, I wouldn't give you a penny"

Tajima was more than impressed by what his son just said. If they were not surrounded by their clan, he might have even praised the boy for not acting like a child but far more maturely. Yamamoto looked thunderous and Tajima didn't miss nearly a dozen Uchiha inching close to the three of them...

He narrowed his eyes at those people remembering each of them perfectly. They were all his uncle's supporters who had tried to overthrow him, many had recommended them to be put to death for their treason but Tajima had not done that knowing how much it would have hurt his dead father's soul. Besides, their clan had taken a mighty blow from the Senju and he could not afford to lose trained fighters at any cost. So instead, he gave them missions that kept most of them away from home for a very long time.

But now that vacation was about to end.

Naruto tensed as he too noticed the unknown people closing towards them. He was still deciding his next move when Tajima stepped before him protectively and glared murderously at his uncle and his supporters.

"We are done here. Pack up your shit and leave before first light tomorrow" commanded Tajima icily,

"And if I don't?" challenged the old man,

Naruto could practically see the supporters of each faction eyeing each other warily. One wrong move and things could go haywire...

 _"Kento Senju..."_

Nearly every Uchiha in the vicinity flinched on hearing that hated man's name. But their reaction was not one of disgust but of utter terror.

It was a well-known fact that Kento had been the instigator who slaughtered Tajima's siblings when his father tried to offer peace.

What Tajima did in return was enough to even terrify his own men.

It took years but Tajima was relentless. He finally managed to capture Kento and his entire family except for his son Butsuma. What happened next was enough to even make Yamamoto flinch as he remembered that incident.

Tajima didn't kill his prisoners or torture them even.

 _He broke them._

Months of imprisonment in the dark cells with only the barest amount of food and water had left most of the Senju family insane or terrified. Their mental capacity was so eroded that they saw shadows everywhere waiting to kill them...

Tajima gave Kento and his sons who were still sane one offer.

Either have Kento's wife and daughters be raped by hundreds of Uchiha. Or do the deed themselves...

The prisoners had begged and screamed, but Tajima was merciless. He knew they would do what he wanted them to do and watched in grim satisfaction as the Senju head and his sons were forced to do one of the most disgusting acts on earth. And he made them do it again and again just as they had raped his little sister.

The family was broken beyond repair and then Tajima simply allowed those women to be raped again and again by Uchiha until they died. Kento's sons tried to fight and Tajima slaughtered them brutally before their father's eyes further traumatizing the man.

By then, nothing was left of the Senju head. His spirit was broken...

And then Tajima let him leave.

Kento turned up at his hometown a few weeks later a completely broken man and before his entire clan, he set himself on fire. His screams as he was burned alive were enough to traumatize Butsuma for a lifetime as he vainly tried to save his father, but in the end failed.

The Senjus got the message clearly.

 **Fire and Blood.**

From that day forth, Tajima Uchiha was considered a brutal man.

Naruto saw for the first time the respect and fear in the eyes of even those who hated his father. Tajima dared them to defy him but no one did. Not even Yamamoto...

 _"Get the hell out of my sight"_ commanded Tajima coldly

* * *

Just after dinner, Naruto had sneaked out of his home in order to visit the lazy fox. The beast always pretended to be annoyed or even furious by Naruto's increasing visits but the beast's eyes that always sparkled with curiosity betrayed his true feelings.

As for Naruto, he found Kurama interesting and fun to be around. Since Madara was always away on missions, it allowed him to spend time with someone with whom he was more comfortable than either his father or aunt or any other Uchiha. It was a sad truth and he could only hope his relationship with them improved in the future.

He was about to take his secret route to sneak into the forests when he felt it.

A faint presence in the southwest direction and there was only one place of importance there. Curious, he activated his Sharingan only to have his faint smile falter and be replaced by a heavy frown.

Goddamn if it wasn't those orphans trying to break the rules again, he never really cared as to what they did since most of the time it was completely harmless but today his father was clearly pissed off and might just deal with them harshly if they were caught.

So, he changed course and instead followed the source of chakra signatures.

Within minutes, he arrived at his destination and frowned on sensing those presences moving further underground.

 _Those fools!_

Didn't they know they were not allowed to be in this place after sunset?

With a resigned sigh, he entered through the doors and looked around in the darkness. It was dark, but thanks to his Sharingan he easily saw the trail of chakra and followed after it descending towards the basement.

He heard voices...

So many voices...

 _"We move tonight!"_

His breath stopped as he realized the owner of that voice. The same man who had nearly threatened his father to a fight in the morning.

Yamamoto Uchiha.

Still, he calmed his nerves and decided to listen on the conversation. If they were going to harm his family, then he needed to know everything before going to Tajima.

"There's no going back after this, Yamamoto-sama. Are you sure this is really necessary?" asked a hesitant young voice,

"It is the only way, Keiji. You can verify it yourself..." assured Yamamoto calmly,

"I have waited years for this. Finally, we can put Tajima in the ground for what he did to us" whispered another,

"Once we rebel there is no going back. Either we'll live or Tajima and his family, steel your hearts because we will wipe all of them out and take this clan back to its rightful place" declared Yamamoto,

"Can we really take Tajima head on along with his supporters?" asked a skeptical voice,

"Yes. We can" reassured Yamamoto with so much confidence and the slightest hint of certainty.

Naruto had gone deathly pale by the time he finished hearing the conversation. His hands were trembling, these people were going to attack his family!

Tajima needed to know about this revolt immediately. Even if Yamamoto had fewer supporters, it still didn't diminish the danger to Tajima's life and that of his family.

He was just about to leave when he heard a terrified scream followed by dozens more.

Women and children.

Had they already started taking hostages from Tajima's supporters? If that was the case, then the situation was even more alarming than he had previously imagined. He could feel there were at least 50-60 people in the basement, how many of them were enemies that he couldn't know...

Tajima needed to know right now!

"Orders?" asked a cold voice, devoid of any emotion.

Naruto stopped mid-flight clearly trapped between running and staying. His heart threatened to burst out of his chest, he had already started sweating and his hands just couldn't stop trembling. His people, his clan were all in danger...

 **"Kill them all"**

His sword was unleashed as those words passed his ears. There was no time to react, no time to get help, he had to save these people from those madmen. He ran down the stairs at an alarming speed with his sword ready and eyes wide in terror. He didn't think what would happen, he couldn't imagine doing anything else...

Channeling chakra through his sword he brutally carved the wooden door of the basement in half and crashed inside.

Rolling in quick succession, he got back on his feet with his Sharingan blazing.

He saw nearly 20-25 fully armed Uchihas standing around helpless and terrified women as well as little children tied to wooden posts. Their eyes full of horror, fear and unending tears, while the armed men looked shocked at the intrusion.

 _"What the hell are you doing?"_ yelled Naruto furiously, glaring straight at his great-uncle.

The man sneered at him, his eyes full of so much loathing.

"If it isn't _The Young Dragon..._ " mocked Yamamoto, even going so far as howling a poor scream of a dragon.

The old man's supporters now turned towards him with the same look of utter loathing in their eyes as they raised their weapons.

"I **command** you to release these people at once. Disobey and you shall be _executed for treason_!" warned Naruto, his Sharingan glaring murderously at these people.

And they laughed at him.

He gritted his teeth as he saw the women and children whimper on seeing their captors were not going to obey that command even if it had come from their liege lord's son. They were really going to rebel...

"That was something. Maybe you do have some dragon blood in you..." mocked Yamamoto,

"These people are our family. You have no right to do any harm to them" warned Naruto again, earning a snort from the rebel Uchihas.

"We don't want to but for the greater good of our clan, _we have to.._." said Yamamoto reluctantly, and was not surprised when the angry young boy frowned at his words.

 **"What?"**

"So naive. You think you and your brother got the Sharingan because you're _special?_ " asked one rebel Uchiha in disgust,

"It's just a simple process. One which your father kept hidden from everyone for years..." roared another rebel,

"What the hell are you talking about?" hissed Naruto bitterly,

Yamamoto sighed in frustration but stepped aside a little to reveal their family's ancient tablet. There were many secrets engraved in that stone and only a handful Uchiha in history could read it. And even they couldn't read it much without the Sharingan...

"Our clan suffered for centuries without the Sharingan. But your father and his ancestors before him kept this secret from us. You activated those eyes because of the pain you felt when your brothers died, it must not have been a good experience but it gave you the power to serve your clan better. We are doing the same" proclaimed Yamamoto,

"By _murdering_ innocent women and children? These are **OUR PEOPLE!** We are **SWORN** to defend them!" yelled Naruto in disbelief and mad fury,

"If two Sharingan's could give us such a big victory over the Senjus. Imagine what _hundreds_ more would do?" asked Yamamoto eagerly, all sense of rationality gone from the man's eyes.

Naruto stood still aghast seeing what was happening before his very eyes. This was a dream...it had to be...

 _Madness runs in your clan._

His breath stopped when he remembered Kurama's warning about his clan and what they were capable of. He had refuted the fox back then telling him that the Uchiha were only cruel to their enemies.

But now after hearing these rebels and seeing those innocents about to be butchered, his belief shattered.

"We will take back what is rightfully ours in **_Fire and Blood_**. These women and children are our nieces and nephews, we love them but their sacrifice will be remembered in the future. Today, we all shall rise as **_Dragons!_** " declared Yamamoto enthusiastically, making every one of his supporters cheer for victory.

 **"We will strike down Tajima!"**

 **"We will butcher the Senjus!"**

 **"And we will RULE the world!"**

The mad cheering was stopped when a murderous aura spread across the entire basement. The killing intent that was unleashed made the captive children cry as the woman tried to console them despite being tied to different posts. The rebels flinched when they saw a pair of Sharingan eyes glaring at them murderously...

Yamamoto clenched his jaw on seeing the defiant boy and unleashed his sword making his followers do the same.

"Half of you, start the ritual. The rest shall help me in putting this runt down" declared Yamamoto,

''Hai!" chorused the rebels in silent glee, the eagerness to activate their Sharingan clearly visible on their maniacal faces.

 _"Now you die, boy"_ warned Yamamoto, pointing his sword right at Naruto.

Naruto's hands inched towards his pouch on the back, after his and Kurama's encounter with the Kaguya and Hagoromo clans he had made it a habit of being fully armed when he visited the fox. That habit might just save his life today...

He glanced at everyone of his enemies and realized one bitter fact. _There were too many of them..._

Still, he had no choice but to fight even if it meant his death. He could never look Izuna in the eye if he ran here leaving these women and children to die...

He raised his own sword and looked his great-uncle right in the eye...

 **"Then let us die!"**

Before anyone could react, Naruto unleashed two large smoke bombs from his pouch and shrouded the entire basement in a cloud of purple smoke. He heard the rebels and the prisoners coughing violently, many shouted to each other asking for Naruto's whereabouts because they could not see the boy.

But Naruto could see them with his Sharingan.

He glanced at his sword knowing despite all the reasons, he would be killing his own people to save his own people.

There was no victory here...

 _Only duty!_

The five sharp kunai flew from his left hand hitting their targets with perfect accuracy. A part of him died as he saw the wounded men clutch their pierced throats as they spat blood. Their horror was clear for Naruto to see as they all slumped to their knees before falling lifelessly to the wooden floor.

Tears stung his eyes and oddly he felt the world move even more slowly as he charged.

He gave a wordless battle cry before plunging his sword clean through the nearest man's heart. Before the man could even fall to his death, Naruto had moved to his next target and then the next one.

He oddly heard the women and children scream painfully in the chaos before falling silent one after another. Naruto rushed in their direction but was blocked by four strong men who saw him clearly now that the smoke had started to disappear.

Already he had killed 10 of the rebels much to Yamamoto's horror. The old man watched four of his best fighters charge towards his great-nephew and gulped when he saw the boy's Sharingan evolve into three tomoes.

 _A full Sharingan._

Naruto saw each and every movement of his enemies before they could even act halfway with his sword making quick work of them. They were all stronger, older and more experienced than him. But he was faster and smaller, and he could see what they wanted to do before they even did it.

He watched Yamamoto take a few steps back in fear as the last of his supporters tried to stop the red-eyed boy.

 **"BURN HIM!"**

 **"BURN EVERYTHING!"**

 **"BURN THEM ALL!"**

Yamamoto had lost every last ounce of his sanity, his crazy eyes watching the boy carve the rebels left and right. On hearing his frantic command, the last four of his supporters quickly performed a set of hand seals.

Naruto barely had enough time to gasp as four giant fireballs were unleashed at him. In such close proximity, he had no space to evade and no water to call for his defense.

He gave a silent scream as the fireballs hit him.

Distantly he also heard the women and children behind him scream as they were hit by one of the fireballs that went astray.

 _The entire basement was caught on fire!_

Despair coursed through Naruto's heart as he watched the flames engulf him and the women and children. They screamed, he didn't.

He waited for that inevitable pain to consume him just as it was consuming those innocents, but strangely he felt the pain equivalent of a small knife tearing up his skin.

 _He was on fire and yet he was not burning..._

His pale skin was turning beet red, and in some places even black from the fire but even so he was not getting charred. A fact which shocked his remaining enemies...

 **Pure rage** coursed through Naruto's heart as he looked at these monsters!

The rage he had only felt when Izuna died in his arms!

The four rebels tried to flee away from the burning boy only to realize they were trapped in the fire of their making. They raised their swords in a last effort as Naruto charged towards them with murder in his eyes.

Yamamoto winced when he saw his great-nephew butcher his last men. The boy took away their limbs, their bare hearts, their genitals, before taking away their heads.

Covered in blood, gore, and guts and being consumed by fire made Naruto appear as the **Shinigami** himself born alive.

He saw Yamamoto frantically grab one of his dying supporters...

 _"Kill him!"_ yelled the old man, only to see the wounded man die.

When he finally turned away from his now deceased last supporter, he saw Naruto standing in front of him.

All around them was fire, blood, and death.

They were the last ones standing.

"What are you?" asked Yamamoto in horror, as his eyes saw the fire still clinging to the boy covered in blood, gore, and guts.

 **"A true Uchiha"**

With those last words, he charged forward and took a high jump. Yamamoto weakly raised his own sword to defend but Naruto poured in every ounce of his strength into that strike and watched as his sword destroyed his great-uncle's weapon before cleaving the man in half from head to toe.

Showers of blood and flesh rained down on him as the man fell and was soon consumed in the flames he started.

The entire Uchiha temple was on fire now and its foundations were falling apart. Despite the collapsing structure he was in, Naruto moved forward with mad fury burning in his Sharingan eyes.

He could not think, he could not feel anything but hatred.

Those men were monsters but the thing which started this madness was right in front of his eyes.

He raised his sword and brought it down brutally against the Uchiha tablet. The stone cracked but did not shatter, Naruto raised his weapon again and attacked.

He screamed himself hoarse as his sword attacked the tablet again and again.

Finally, after two dozen strikes the ancient relic shattered in half as Naruto grabbed the pieces and flung them viciously into the raging fire.

His rage finally died and silent tears fell from his eyes on seeing despite his best efforts the rebels had managed to kill the women and children. He had failed again...

 _Just like he had failed in saving his brothers..._

Broken and defeated, he marched towards the center of the burning basement grabbing a chair. He sat down and lowered his head as his hands clutched his bloodstained sword. The fire burned all around him and the ceiling started to collapse destroying the ancient Uchiha temple...

But he couldn't see or listen to anything...

The only thing he could remember were those words that would haunt him forever.

 ** _"Kill them all"_**

 _(Flashback End)_

* * *

"That's where My Father and my clan found me..."

The Senju family sat in stunned silence as Naruto finished his tale. Their faces pale and eyes wide as they heard what the Uchihas tried to do to each other in their mad thirst for power.

Hashirama had watched Naruto every second as he revealed the truth to them and never once had he detected any treachery or lies. The Senju head knew the boy had said nothing but the truth for the tears in his eyes were real, the pain, the sadness and most of all the guilt of his failure still haunted Naruto till this day.

Tsunade and Itama still could not believe Naruto went in despite the danger. He fought against enemies that outnumbered and outclassed him knowing he would die all for the sake of innocents that were caught in the madness of the Uchiha.

It went against everything they had heard about this man...

"If this is true...why didn't you tell anyone? Why did your father hide the truth?" asked Itama hesitantly, and saw the hollow gaze of the Uchiha stare back at him.

"The family is all that matters. The clan is all that lives on..." recited Naruto, the words of his father.

"It would have torn your clan apart if the truth was revealed. Your people would stop trusting each other and your allies would desert you..." whispered Tsunade, as she realized the aftermath of this tragedy the Uchihas could have faced.

She flinched when Naruto's Sharingan eyes looked at her and in them, she saw nothing but pain and guilt.

" _Would you have done it?_ Would you have stepped aside and let those innocents _**burn to death**_? Would you have kept your oath of loyalty and let those madmen do what they wanted to do?" asked Naruto bitterly,

For the first time in her life, Tsunade had no answer to give and she could only lower her gaze in shame.

She or Itama could not look into this man's eyes whom everyone had called a _Kinslayer_ when all he had tried to do was protect his family.

"Why?"

Naruto turned to look at Hashirama who was staring at him with sadness present in his dark eyes.

 _"A ninja protects from the shadows, never seeks glory, only his duty"_

Hashirama closed his eyes as a lone tear slipped past his cheeks. It was never easy with Uchihas, one could never love them truly or hate them truly.

There were madmen in that clan like Yamamoto and his supporters who would go to any lengths for the sake of power. Even killing their families. Such people could never be trusted no matter what!

But at the same time, there were loyal and good men like Naruto.

Ninjas who did their duty to the best of their abilities without expecting anything in return.

Looking at Naruto, Hashirama finally realized the extent of his sacrifice.

He accepted disgrace in the place of honor, hatred in the place of love bearing it all with his unwavering silence and all for the sake of the Uchiha name.

He sacrificed his entire life so that the Uchihas could live theirs.

Now that same boy was risking everything to save his people again and there was the only reason for that which was clear for Hashirama to see in the boy's eyes...

 _Love._

Naruto got up from his seat and wordlessly walked towards the exit until a firm hand was placed on his shoulder. He stopped...

Turning around he saw Hashirama staring at him with great pride in his eyes.

"Enough"

Tsunade and Itama both joined their eldest brother. They didn't say anything but their faint nods were all that Hashirama and Naruto needed to see.

 _"I will believe in you, Uchiha Naruto"_

Hashirama extended his hand forward as he finished those words watching the stunned boy glance at his face then at his offered hand.

Thousands of years of war, millions of deaths, an unending story of suffering, pain, and hatred.

And it was about to end.

Naruto looked at Hashirama seriously trying to find any treachery in the Senju but could not find any. He then glanced at Itama who gave a small smile of confirmation. Tsunade gathered her courage and looked at Naruto when he stared at her...

In her eyes, he saw guilt, hesitation, and fear. But there was also hope...

A small smile formed on his lips...

 _"I have seen your guts"_

Hashirama smiled widely as Naruto raised his own hand and joined it with Hashirama's bringing an end to a war that had lasted thousands of years.


	19. Rebellion

**Thank you for the support. Hope you continue it.**

 **Chapter 19**

 **Rebellion**

* * *

Naruto sat alone in one of the Castle towers of the royal palace. Here, away from the hustle and bustle he sat on the stairs. His hands gently caressed **Dawn** and one could see fine liquid drops hanging on the fine sword with more joining every few seconds.

He should not be feeling like this, certainly not after he managed an actual peace treaty with the Senjus.

But with that came the condition of marrying someone he didn't love. Most of all, it implied setting aside someone whom he had genuine feelings for.

Hashirama had reluctantly agreed to not make Naori Uchiha marry him in exchange because Naruto warned him that Tajima would rather choose war than making his only living sister a hostage.

Hashirama in his naivety or pure heart agreed to trust Naruto with his sister's life. But on the other hand, the Senju lord did ask to share power equally between the Uchiha and Senju, a task which Naruto knew would be the end of him because his family would rather eat their own guts than relinquish even a penny to their hated enemy's.

Naruto had also promised to keep Tsunade safe, treat her as his lawful wife, give her all the respect and comfort deserving of his life partner. It was the only way for him to keep the Uchihas and Senjus from destroying themselves...

So many promises made to so many people made him wonder as to whether future historians would call him _Kinslayer_ as most called him today, or...

 _The Dragon Who Promised_

Another pain crushed his heart as he remembered his conversation with Mikoto an hour ago...

* * *

 **(Flashback: An Hour Ago)**

Mikoto had been waiting for him when he entered their shared chambers. He had been dreading this conversation but one look at her face showed him that she already knew.

"Itachi told me..." she clarified, on seeing his worried gaze.

"What did he tell you?" asked Naruto hesitantly, making a wistful smile cross her lips.

"That there is nothing more powerful in this world than a just and loyal man. I am looking at _one_ right now..."

He clenched his fists tightly and suppressed the lump in his throat. Tears threatened to burst from his eyes as she gave him a knowing nod. Why was duty always the hardest to perform?

Was the price for loyalty always the highest?

Many said love was always the death of loyalty. But in his case, both love and loyalty would someday be the end of him.

"I did what I thought was right..." he said weakly, his voice barely above a whisper.

"I know" she replied gently,

"We attack the Capital before Dawn tomorrow. Hashirama will focus on capturing the Damiyo and his family, our job will be to neutralize the city defenders as quickly as possible. The Senjus will provide most of their forces to aid us but Itama and Tsunade Senju shall command them. Our troops shall be commanded by me, however overall command of our combined forces lies in my hands..." explained Naruto seriously, trying to keep his mind away from the painful topic of his marriage to the Senju Princess.

"And?" prompted Mikoto, and didn't miss him wince.

"I will marry Tsunade Senju once we have the Capital. The war is over..."

A lone tear slipped from her eye as she marched towards the window and quickly inhaled some fresh air to overcome her own panic. He tried to get to her but stopped halfway through with a constricted look visible in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Mikoto"

She didn't detect any lies or fake sympathy in his words. He sounded genuinely sorry which made it only worse for her because it was he who would suffer more than her. He might not love her yet, but she had loved him for years. Watching him go through something like this was breaking her heart...

"How do you do it?" she asked sadly,

"I..."

"How do you set aside your entire life for someone else? How do you remain strong in the face of so much heartbreak?"

He was silent for several long moments as her questions echoed in his heart. They were the ones he had asked himself for many years and he had come up with only one answer.

A distant face of a smiling boy carrying another younger boy on his shoulders flashed through his mind.

If he could focus some more, he could hear that distant voice again in his heart.

"I learned from the best. He taught me to be strong in the face of danger, to have the heart to stand up for justice, to remain loyal in the face of obstacles, and most of all to live your entire life for your family without expecting anything in return. Izuna lived and died by that honor, I guess I am the same. In my heart, maybe I am still that little boy clinging to his brother's back... _that perhaps I am the man he could have been_ "

She had always known he had loved his brother deeply, more than anyone else. But today, she perhaps saw the **true** him for the first time. She didn't see his face but that of Izuna Uchiha looking back at her. All of Naruto's choices, his hardships, his pain, his loyalty, his duty...it had all been conducted on the basis of the teachings he learned from Izuna.

"You're a good man, Naruto" she whispered with a proud smile,

They both looked at each other conveying all they felt with their eyes. Mikoto couldn't stop the tears falling from her eyes now but he remained strong.

"You deserve someone better than me. Someone who'll put _you_ first before his duty and loyalty..." said Naruto bitterly,

"Good luck on your journey, Naruto Uchiha" she whispered,

He stopped any of his pending explanations or apologies on hearing those words. They hit him like a silent wave sweeping his world away as he felt the connection shared between them break for she had released him.

"You too, Mikoto"

Those words were barely out of his lips before he turned away in order to disappear. The tears were now clawing at his eyelids and his chest felt crushed.

"Naruto..."

He swiftly turned around and marched back straight towards her. Their lips crashed against each other as their silent tears now clashed openly against their cheeks. They both devoured each other trying to capture the last essence of each other and yet at the same time preparing to say goodbye.

He was the one who broke the kiss gently followed by kissing her forehead, her cheeks, her nose, her chin as if he was memorizing every part of her in his brain while she did the same for him with her eyes.

When they glanced at each other one last time, he saw the life he could have had with her.

 _A small house with two little boys playing with each other while they both watched them with smiles on their faces. Of Madara sneaking in through the window with gifts in his arms making the boys squeal in delight and Mikoto giving her brother-in-law an admonishing glare for his antics. Of Tajima and Naori sitting beside their entire family, regaling their grandchildren/grandnephews with their past exploits._

He walked away before his resolve could crumble in the face of that wishful dream.

 **(Flashback End)**

* * *

He got up from the stairs and wiped away his tears.

 _It was easy to do one's duty when it cost one nothing, but most difficult when it cost them everything._

 _Loyalty was easy to give but most hard to follow through._

 _Words had power but it was always actions that were remembered._

Shizuka had foreseen him making three difficult choices in his life, ones which would determine not just his future but that of the world. He had not believed her then but now it was his choice that had made possible a true peace between the Uchiha and Senju. His choice that was now about to join two blood families and fulfill the Sage of Six Path's dream.

If this was the first choice, then he dreaded what the other two would ask of him?

He had already sacrificed his lover, risked the anger of his family and bannermen, and placed his faith in a family that he had hated for most of his life.

Whatever the case, a choice was made.

And he had to live with it for the rest of his life.

Kurama had said that he reminded the fox of Indra, would the Uchiha founder make the same choices as he had made? Naruto had a feeling the man wouldn't, maybe even Izuna wouldn't, maybe it was what set him apart from those two Uchiha. He admired them and was like them in many aspects, but he doubted those men would make the choices he had made.

With those thoughts in mind, he walked outside the tower in order to carryout his choice.

* * *

Tsunade had been waiting for her betrothed to emerge from his self-imposed isolation in the tower. It was not to say, she had not tried to get in but had been stopped by none other than Shisui Uchiha.

She had been surprised by his presence and even tried to irritate him for stopping her, but the man had more patience than Tsunade had barbs and as a result, she was defeated.

It had been more than an hour and never once had she seen Shisui even twitch a muscle. The same went for Itachi who if possible had not even said a word to her.

 _Kinsguard_ , they were called.

Loyal and good men who had followed Naruto for years. If rumors were to be believed, the first ones to pledge their service to Naruto despite his dark past. Devoted themselves to him when he was not even the prospective leader of the Uchiha in the future and had nothing to offer them except disgrace.

If she had not heard Naruto's story, she would have considered these men fools for following such a vile man. But after hearing the truth, she knew they had seen the true worth of her betrothed and made their own choice.

It made her feel a little jealous.

While she was loved and respected by her people and allies alike, it was mostly because she was once Butsuma Senju's _only daughter_ and later on as the _only sister_ of her brothers. Despite her skills in fighting and healing, people still saw her as a **_Princess_** and a person who needed protection. They would follow her into battle because she was Hashirama's sister and not because of _who_ she was.

Naruto, on the other hand, was her complete opposite.

Born into a family that almost hated him, losing his brothers early in his life, followed by losing his respect and status in the clan. Naruto was someone destined to be hated and forgotten, yet he had not given up. With his sense of loyalty and duty, he built himself back up from the ashes of his life. Became the best swordsman in the elemental nations, inspired men like the Kinsguard to follow him, regained the trust and respect of his people through victories, and most of all brought an end to a war that had lasted thousands of years.

She would probably never say it out loud but in a way, she felt _small_ in comparison to someone like that, despite her _Princess_ status.

"The rumors don't do your beauty justice, Princess," said Shisui with a gentle smile,

Tsunade suspiciously looked at the Uchiha. People who often said those words were mostly hungry and lustful dogs, but she couldn't find a hint of lust in those dark black eyes. Itachi on the other hand actually looked even more disinterested in her appearance.

She looked at these men in a different light remembering what they were famous for.

 **The Morning Star** they called Shisui, wielder of the ancestral sword **Fury** that was currently hanging on his hip. He was Naruto's best friend and if she was to develop any cordial relations with her betrothed much less any Uchiha, she had to make this man her ally.

That was not to discredit **The Silent Shadow** who was observing her every move. Itachi Uchiha unnerved her in a way Tsunade couldn't describe. The man was watching her like a hawk but strangely his eyes didn't display any emotion. Nor hate, fear or even lust. Those kind of men were the most dangerous and if she ever tried to even lay a finger on Naruto, this man's sword would be the last thing she would ever see.

There were other Kinsguard members she had seen but yet to meet. It was actually the matter of one of them which had brought Tsunade here to have a conversation with Naruto in the first place.

"Well, they won't matter if my future husband continues to hate me..." said Tsunade hesitantly, making Shisui grimace.

Surprisingly, it was Itachi who spoke.

"He doesn't hate you, Senju. He hates your _judgmental attitude_..." said Itachi flatly,

 **''What?"** hissed Tsunade, a vein popping across her forehead.

Shisui sighed before sending his friend and fellow Kinsguard a reprimanding glare that made the younger boy shut up. When he looked back at the Princess, she looked about ready to explode. So this was the infamous temper of hers...

"What he means to say is there are many things you don't know about Naruto or our clan and allies alike. Our factions have been at war for a very long time so it is natural for each side to have their grudges. But Naruto is willing to look past them so that all of us can live. But it is a _two-way street_..." explained Shisui patiently,

"What do you two think of this peace treaty? I want your opinion..." said Tsunade insistently,

Her brother was placing a lot of trust in one Uchiha, even going so far as to rebel against the Daimyo who was their staunch ally. Naruto did look trustable, but it wouldn't matter if other Uchiha had different ideas of peace.

"It is not our place. We trust Naruto, that should be enough" replied Itachi calmly, which only seemed to aggravate Tsunade further on hearing the Uchiha's disinterested tone.

"Not all Uchihas want to continue this never ending war. Some of us would prefer peace if it can be achieved, it's just we are extremely loyal to our families. If they chose war, then we cannot let them fight alone and die. It is true that Uchihas have plenty of hate in their hearts for their enemies, but it is also true that our clan is one of the most loyal in this world. Stubborn, prideful... _but loyal_ " explained Shisui patiently,

"And you think Naruto can achieve this peace? Convince _Madara_ and the others to back down?" asked Tsunade skeptically, from what she had seen and heard of Madara that was a bleak possibility.

She watched Shisui grimace which only further fueled her doubts.

"Madara loves Naruto, more than you or anyone else can imagine. I have faith Naruto can bring our side to the negotiation table, what happens after that depends on the actions and words of both sides" revealed Shisui,

"You're quite honest. For an Uchiha..." said Tsunade with a wry smile,

"I'll take that as a compliment" acquiesced Shisui with a faint smile,

"He's here" announced Itachi,

When Naruto stepped out of the Tower, he was surprised to see her and in turn, Tsunade didn't miss the still moist cheeks of his. It was all the confirmation she had needed regarding her doubts about a certain Kinsguard member...

On seeing her he informed his two friends to stay back much to Itachi's protests.

Still, he managed to convince them and came towards her. He offered her his arm which she stared at suspiciously, wasn't he being a little eager?

"It would be better if our people see unity among us before tomorrow" he explained simply,

It was then Tsunade noticed the nicely hidden Senju guards lurking in the nearby alleys watching them like trained hawks. So, her brothers were worried about her despite the new peace. Enough to send highly skilled ninjas to keep watch over her, it made her feel happy and bitter at the same time.

To think, Naruto saw right through them was another point Tsunade noted about his observation power.

They both walked in silence with him as rigid as a rock and her watching his every step. They made such an awkward pair that she doubted even her loyal guards could not stop sniggering about...

Despite the awkwardness, she actually enjoyed the silence as it allowed her time to look at him more closely.

His skin was fair like the moonlight which was a trademark among Uchihas. His shoulders were broad and strong earning an approving nod from her. She felt the tension in the muscles of his arm that was connected with hers, but she also felt the strength. But it was his hair that fascinated her most...

She had always seen Uchiha with weird spiky hair that were always black in color, they were in such weird shapes that many Uchiha didn't even bother to tame them.

But Naruto had light brown hair that were as soft as silk, a fact which was easily displayed by the wind easily able to ruffle them in every direction. One strand of hair occasionally settled down over his left eye and Tsunade had to fight back her urge to remove it.

She was frustrated when he never glanced at her the way she was doing at him.

"Quite a _stalker_ , are you?"

She flushed on being caught red handed staring at him. A sarcastic retort was about to pass her lips when she noticed his cocky grin was very weak and his eyes were anything but jovial. It was a poor mask of normalcy and strength, one which she saw through instantly.

"Well, atleast you're _not_ ugly" Tsunade deadpanned, unable to stop herself.

He tried to resist but failed as an amused smile came on his face. Tsunade on the other hand was stunned.

His smile was so different than anything she had ever seen before.

When he smiled truly, his eyes sparkled with kindness and empathy. His lips twisted to form an amused smirk, and two faint dimples were born across his cheeks that enhanced his boyish looks. It made her blush and look away or risk him teasing her again...

"That's got to be the _weirdest_ but _endearing_ compliment I've ever received" he commented amusedly,

"Well then, better take it" replied Tsunade petulantly, making him shake his head at her antics.

They both had walked enough distance to reach a beautiful fountain that had a Lion roaring water out of its mouth. He didn't know if it was meant to be intimidating or laughable, these capitalists had a strange taste. From the corner of his eye, he saw Shisui and Itachi maintain a respectable distance from them.

The same was the case with the Senju guards.

Although both sides looked ready to defend their sworn leaders should the situation arise. Knowing Itachi and Shisui, the Senjus would be dead before they even unleashed their swords.

Still, deciding to forget those dark thoughts he decided to focus back on his future wife. The term reminding him again of what he had sacrificed to accept her in his life...

Tsunade was currently busy staring at the strange fountain which allowed him a chance to sneak a peak. Despite their rough start, he had never once not considered her beautiful. Even more so than the other women he had been with, much to his shame for his ability of seeing the truth.

She had a heart shape face and a strange diamond shaped seal on her forehead. He didn't know what purpose it served but it actually enhanced her beauty. Her skin was more fairer than him which was saying something because the Senjus usually were dark skinned except for a few anomalies. Her golden blonde hair were tied into fine ponytail that reached up to her waist, even the glowing sun couldn't shine more than her hair. Her face always looked gentle and welcoming when she smiled kindly, and menacing when one of her sinister and cold smiles took hold.

But it were her eyes that fascinated him most. Those hazel orbs had so much life in them, so much happiness and positive vibes were overflowing from those orbs which were a stark proof of her not being exposed to the things he had which was a good thing for the world could not handle _two_ of him.

That thought made him laugh out loud much to her surprise...

"What is it?'' she inquired curiously,

"Just realized how different we are and it's a good thing because the world cannot handle _two_ of either one of us..." he joked,

Much to his surprise, she burst out laughing as well and in a manner which would have made most Uchiha noblewomen beet red in embarrassment. But he found the laugh quite endearing, for it was free and unhindered by manners something which most Uchiha were always bound by.

When she finally stopped laughing, the tension between them had subsided greatly and went even low when Naruto offered to sit down with her at the edge of the fountain. He proved his manners by making her grab a seat first before taking one for himself and while they were close, he maintained a respectable distance in order to not make her feel overwhelmed. Such minor things would have escaped him had he not been with other women before and had Naori not hammered these manners in his thick brain over the past decade. Those thoughts again made him feel more relaxed and at ease...

Which was a good thing for the next words out of Tsunade's mouth were completely not what he had expected to hear.

"Is there any other woman in your life?"

He looked at her seriously, all playfulness gone from his eyes. Despite their shaky peace, he was yet to trust her enough. A fact which she saw through...

"I am not judging you" clarified Tsunade, sending a thankful glance at Shisui who gave her a small encouraging smile.

Naruto looked at her again, more specifically in her eyes. There he found no lies which eased him a little, he thought about refuting the question but decided against it considering she would find out sooner or later. It was better if it came from him...

"I had"

" _Had?_ " asked Tsunade, wincing slightly as the implication behind his answer became clear.

"I ended it. And it is not for any reason you might think..." clarified Naruto earnestly,

Tsunade had to steady herself in order to not lash out at him. In her experience, men always abandoned their lovers when they found better ones. And she was no small cache, if that was the reason he had left his former lover...

Shisui's advice came running back in her mind which prevented her from going down that line of thinking. Deciding to take a chance, she listened to him...

"While it is true ours is a political marriage and there is no love between us yet. But that does not change the fact that I will _not_ dishonor you as my future wife or her by carrying on an illegitimate relation behind your back. I respect you enough not to do that and I lov-"

He froze.

 _I love her enough not to do that._

He couldn't believe what he was about to say to Tsunade, more than that what he was about to admit to himself even. All this time, he had refused to believe and only now when Mikoto was gone because of his choices did he realize...

Even Tsunade saw through him even if he never managed to finish that sentence.

He closed his eyes waiting for that lashing he deserved to receive from her but was surprised when she actually entwined her hands with his.

"I'm glad you were honest with me"

Stunned, he looked at her and saw a newfound respect for himself in her eyes. Would it be there if he lied to her? Would it still be there if he told her that he had two children on the way? She might be accepting of his past affair, but he highly doubted she would accept his children from another woman.

Tsunade Senju did not seem that kind of woman to him.

More than that, he could not trust her with this secret. Not yet, and certainly not with the lives of his children.

So he decided to keep his silence.

"I cannot say if I can love you or not, Princess. But I _will_ give you the respect and consideration as my lawful wife, if you give me the same in return" he proposed, this was the best he could offer her at the moment.

"Tsunade"

He blinked unable to understand why she was smiling and said her name.

"If you want us to treat us each other as equals, then I would like you to call me by name. As I would do the same for you, _Naruto_ " she proposed, looking at him hopefully.

It felt strange to hear her calling his name. It sent a warm feeling through his chest for every other time she had mocked him by calling him _Kinslayer_. And if she was willing to take this first step, then so was he.

"Very well, _Tsunade_ ," he said with a small smile,

"It feels strange. Us sitting beside each other like this, perhaps we are the first Senju and Uchiha to even sit like this without making any threats or slitting each other's throats" she realized outloud, her surprise easy for him to see.

He fought back the urge to tell her that his grandfather had offered the same chance to her grandfather. An action for which his family was butchered...

Was he committing the same mistake? Was he as deluded as his grandfather?

He could only imagine the hell Tajima and Madara were going to give him for making this peace happen. It would be a miracle if they didn't tear him apart at first sight and his best chance would be to convince his aunt to get him an audience with those two men. Naori was the most rational person in their family, and even if she hated the Senjus like Tajima she would do anything to save their people from annihilation.

So he sat there contemplating his fateful meeting with his family while carrying out mundane conversation with Tsunade.

No great secrets or unbreakable love confessions were made and it was most definitely not love at first sight.

But the initial prejudices they had against each other greatly mellowed down, which was a significant achievement in his eyes. She even decided to call him by his name as he did the same for her.

They both parted on this small but shared mutual agreement feeling more at ease with each other then they were two hours ago.

Shisui and Itachi both approached towards him as the Senjus retreated after their Princess.

"Are the men ready?" asked Naruto seriously,

"They are" informed Shisui confidently,

"But they are _not_ happy fighting beside enemies they have been battling for a thousand years..." pointed Itachi flatly, without mincing any words about the true morale.

Naruto winced but it was not anything he hadn't expected.

"Well, if we don't figure out how to fight together then a thousand years from now our descendants would be calling us fools for not setting aside our differences in the face of slavery to civilians" spat Naruto,

"Think you can rally two bitter sides to fight for you?" challenged Shisui with a smirk,

A cunning smile spread across Naruto's lips as an idea came to his mind in regards to this problem.

"Not for me..."

* * *

Naruto stared at the mix bunch of ninjas standing before him in the vast training field. Usually, these men and women would be fighting to kill each other but today they found themselves fighting side by side. The unlikely scenario was clear to see in the way every ninja was distrustfully glancing at the one of the other side.

Tsunade and Itama were there as well to keep command over the 2500 Senjus who were going to join the mission of seizing the Capital. Aiding them were Naruto, The Kinsguard, and 500 Uchiha faction members mostly made up of Shimura, Namikaze and few Uchiha allies.

Together, their force could muster a paltry 3000 strong force that were supposed to go up against a force of 9000 strong royal guards located across the city. Many of whom were former ninjas who took up service with the Damiyo rather than serve any clans as individuals.

The problem Naruto faced was not the overwhelming numbers of the enemy, but rather their wide distribution across the city and he had a feeling traps would be already in place against anyone that tried to harm the royal family's rule.

While majority of those 9000 royal guards were Samurai or normal guards whom ninjas could take on with ease, that fact was made near impossible for Naruto if his mixed forces didn't co-ordinate or trust each other on the battlefield.

These ninjas may stand grudgingly beside each other now, but on the battlefield they would protect only their own which would be a disaster in making for their combined side.

Hashirama had taken 500 of his best soldiers with him promising to capture the royal family. Naruto had offered some of his men to aid the Senju head but was refused since Hashirama didn't trust Uchiha not to slaughter the royal family. To pacify this refusal, Hashirama granted Naruto combined leadership over their united forces with Itama acting as his second in command followed by Tsunade. It was a fair offer...

But how was he supposed to lead these men when he couldn't even trust the majority of them not to stab him in the back?

 **"Well, this is the risk you took..."** whispered Kurama sarcastically,

Naruto grimaced but nodded in acknowledgment. He could not use the fox's help or risk reducing the city full of innocents to ashes. He had to personally lead this small army, make sure they attacked only the soldiers leaving the non-combatants alone and not destroy their property even. It wouldn't be a good start to ninja rule, if in the process they burned down the lives of innocent civilians.

So many things to be take care off by one man.

 _No one ever said duty could be such a pain in the ass..._

With a deep breath and checking his golden armor and sword one last time, he stepped forward and looked sharply at the assembled army. They had already taken care of the sentries and the guards in the outermost sections of the Royal Castle, while Hashirama was currently busy making his way towards the Royal Family. So far, no noises were made but he doubted that would remain the same for long...

"I'll lead this attack" announced Naruto clearly for every person to hear,

His supporters gave him proud nods and would readily fight for him. The Senjus and their allies on the other hand looked ready to **_maul_** him to death with their hard eyes.

"Form up!" commanded Naruto, and while his supporters followed the order readily the other side still looked hesitant until one harsh glare from Tsunade made them follow through. Itama also said some encouraging words but was only heard by those most close to his position leaving majority of his army clueless.

Naruto sighed because this was so not happening before such an important battle. These people needed to understand what was at stake rather than their old rivalry.

And there was only one way he could achieve that.

He unleashed a mild force of his chakra bringing all the attention back to himself before speaking loudly for everyone to hear...

"They say I am a _Kinslayer_ , the worst of the worst. But if you don't have the balls to fight against your common enemy, then that makes every one of you a **coward!** " he yelled,

Kurama grinned when he saw the boy's words ignited the fragile ego of every shinobi. Their mistrustful looks were now replaced by anger and a desire to pommel Naruto for his outrageous insult. If the boy didn't change the situation soon, they might very well do that.

"The enemy outnumbers us and shouldn't we try to find another solution with the Damiyo?" asked one of the Senjus bitterly,

"If we fight together, then I'll show you how we can win," said Naruto passionately,

He saw many staring at him calculatingly. The Senjus and their allies might hate his guts, but they were aware of his past victories and despite their grudges many now seemed interested in listening to a proven commander even if he was an Uchiha.

Naruto decided to use this golden opportunity quickly as he looked all of them in the eye.

"Don't fight for _me_ , don't fight for _Hashirama or Madara_. Don't fight for glory or riches, because we won't get any here"

More and more ninjas were now stepping closer to him with intense look in their eyes. He didn't know if they wanted to listen or just wanted to stab him outright...

"It is **_your_** freedom and independence the Damiyo wishes to take. It is **_your_** settlements he wants to rule, **_your_** families he wishes to command, **_your_** women and children he wishes to lord over. If you bow to him now, your descendants shall be his **slaves for eternity**. _Are you going to be cowards and allow a civilian to do that to you?_ " yelled Naruto fiercely,

Every ninja's eyes were as hard as stone. Bloody murder was evident on their faces, an anger which neither Tsunade or Itama had ever seen before. Stunned, they looked at the man who had instigated such emotions within every Uchiha, Senju and their allies alike.

Naruto unleashed **Dawn** earning surprised gasps from many who had not seen one of the most ancient weapons of the elemental nations. They all flocked even more closer to the boy in golden armor as he pointed his weapon at the vast Capital ahead of them.

"There are _9000 strong men_ in this city..." roared Naruto,

His sharingan came alive as he roared at the top of his voice by raising his sword high in the air.

 **"LET'S GO KILL THEM!"**

For the first time in history, Uchiha and Senju gave out a ferocious single battlecry that was about to shake the foundations of the elemental nations.

Naruto quickly jumped up to the walls of the royal castle as thousands of ninjas followed after him. He was thankful on seeing Mikoto still fighting for him despite what had happened between them. He was brought out of his thoughts when alarm bells finally went off across the city and the ninja army saw the first defenders rushing out...

"This is going to be bloody," said Kagami with a grimace,

"Hundreds will die, brother," said Shisui in a resigned voice, as he watched the royal defenders arriving in every street.

 **"Thousands..."** whispered Kurama,

Naruto was not undeterred by all those doubts and gloomy predictions, but unlike the others he didn't have the luxury to display any such thoughts. He looked at Tsunade who gave him a resolute nod before looking at the assembled ninja army.

 _ **"COME WITH ME AND TAKE THIS CITY!"**_


	20. Field of Fire

**One more chapter to go before the finale of this arc. Thank you for the support, hope you continue it.**

 **Chapter 20**

 **Field of Fire**

* * *

Tsunade alongwith her clansmen and allies alike had never in their wildest dreams imagined a day would come when they would be fighting side by side alongside Uchiha's and their allies.

But that day had come and tonight their 3000 strong combined force was currently charging towards the defenders of the strongest city of the world.

Whatever she may think of the Uchiha, she couldn't deny the fact that their roars were as powerful as the dragons they claimed to descend from. It was enough to make the royal defenders flinch as they formed a great defensive line.

Her sharp eyes didn't miss the dozen ninjas at the front, followed by heavy infantry in the middle and skilled archers at the back.

Since the streets were narrow, many of the ninjas had decided to take up to the roofs, but their enemy had also positioned their own ninjas on the opposite side. It was as if the Daimyo had trained his forces for fighting against ninja clans. Whatever the case, her eyes were now fixed on the one leading the charge.

Riding atop his giant fox and dressed in his golden armor with **Dawn** in his hand, Naruto Uchiha did strike as an intimidating warrior. He was quite far ahead of his army leading the charge with his _Kinsguard_ members right beside him mounted on their own horses.

The enemy either considered the group foolish or suicidal as a hail of burning fire arrows were launched by the royal archers. Tsunade didn't miss the seals carefully written on those arrows and she had a feeling they were meant to make the arrows pierce shinobi armor.

Yet Naruto and his group charged forward despite the hail of arrows descending down upon them...

It was at that moment when the bloody fox that roared while looking up at the army of arrows and not a second later that entire volley was shattered into metallic dust. The fox again gave a mighty roar this time aimed right at the frontline of the ninja defenders who were going through a set of hand seals.

Tsunade's eyes nearly popped out from her sockets when she saw nearly two dozen men and women go flying away from the force of that roar. The front line had cracked...

In the meantime, Naruto and his squad had finished their hand seals...

 **"Fire Style: Fire Flame Missile!"**

All six Uchiha launched wild and searing flames from their mouth that took the shape of fire missile that tore clean through the enemy ranks burning unfortunate royal soldiers that were caught in its grasp. What was more important was the attack was solely focused and spared any nearby buildings from catching fire.

With their frontline ninja defenders sent flying away because of the fox, the royal army was left open and faced the brutal charge of the Kinsguard.

The fox unleashed nine long tails from its body shattering the nearest poor souls before sending them flying away as if they were annoying flies. The remaining Kinsguard members charged after the beast cutting down any royal defenders of the broken frontline lucky enough to survive the beast's wrath.

By now the allied forces had reached the battlefield and clashed head on with the six dozen ninjas of the Daimyo who valiantly fought on. Their courage might have worked if they had more numbers and if they were not facing two of the strongest clans in the world and their allies.

Tsunade herself launched a mighty punch on a ninja cocky enough to attack her. In his defense, the man raised his sword and was surprised when the weapon shattered against her punch allowing her chakra coated hand to tear his chest apart. His eyes widened in horror just before he was sent halfway across the city where he splattered against the walls and splashed into hundreds of tiny pieces.

A nasty grin arrived on her face as she watched every mercenary ninja of the Daimyo shiver on the fate of their comrade. Even the Uchihas and their allies gulped at the sheer power of her fist.

Instead of basking in the looks of awe and fear, Tsunade's sharp eyes narrowed when she saw three large armies made up of thousands of soldiers descending towards their position from three sides of the capital.

 _They are trying to box us in._

"ITAMA!" she yelled,

Her brother had just finished burying his sword in one of the enemy kunoichi's neck when he turned at her voice. On seeing what Tsunade was pointing, he grimaced. Tsunade watched her shy and reserved brother actually steel himself before glancing at his widely distributed troops. While it was true that she was the second in command of this army, Tsunade badly wanted her brother to regain his lost confidence. After his defeat against Naruto, his reputation had taken a severe beating in the clan and this was his chance to regain his lost honor back.

She was happy to give him this chance but would step forward if he couldn't do it.

Fortunately, seeing Naruto's valiant charge had ignited some of the lost fire in the Senju boy's heart as he raised his sword.

"Senjus, with me!" he yelled,

Despite his past defeats, Tsunade's clansmen followed her brother's command and joined him as he personally lead the charge against the army coming from the town's square.

Tsunade looked around the battlefield to gauge the situation.

She was surprised to see Naruto and his squad alongwith some help from 100 Uchihas and Shimura's had nearly annihilated half of the enemy to the front. The Kinsguard had formed a protective circle around their leader as they all advanced forward cutting down any and everyone with their swords.

Her gaze shifted towards the man she was supposed to marry and she realized the tales about his prowess were not false.

Naruto had dismounted from his fox's back allowing the beast to run forward and wreck havoc. In the meantime, the second son of Tajima was channeling wind chakra through his ancestral weapon. Dozens upon dozens of royal guards had their armors pierced, heads chopped off, necks slashed, or limbs gone as they tried to stop the force that was **Dawn** or its wielder.

Any who tried to attack Naruto from his blind spot got their heads chopped off through the blades of the Kinsguard, the most lethal of them being Shisui and Itachi Uchiha. That enemy flank was as good as massacred...

Looking elsewhere, she saw two armies were still charging towards her positions from the markets and merchant district.

She had roughly 1000 warriors left with her since the remaining were currently busy fighting for Itama and a few for Naruto's side.

"Kenji!"

One of her old bodyguards instantly stepped beside her. Currently in his thirties, this man had protected her when she was a babe and even now he was there for her when she needed him.

"Take 800 of our forces and stop the forces approaching from the merchant district. There could be ninjas among them!" ordered Tsunade,

"Yes, Princess. But what about the other force? Wouldn't you be outnumbered, I can easily see 2000 warriors among them and you'll barely have 200 ninjas on your side. And that too Namikaze fighters who are sworn to Uchihas..." warned Kenji worriedly,

"Like Naruto said. We need to work together, besides I have a plan. Now go!" commanded Tsunade, her voice leaving no room for any doubts or protests.

Kenji flinched but did give her a dutiful bow before rallying the troops she had ordered and running towards the enemy approaching from the merchant district.

"Rest of you, with me!" yelled Tsunade,

The Namikaze fighters looked at each other first before glancing at Naruto who was busy in his own battle. What probably made them follow a Senju was the presence of a dozen Senjus actually fighting beside Naruto...

Tsunade grinned when they joined her as she lead the charge, her hands already blurring through a set of hand seals.

 **"Summoning Jutsu!"**

The enemy army stopped in their tracks when a massive slug appeared right before them. They all glanced up at the blonde Senju woman standing on top of the creature who stared back at them coldly.

 _"Shields up!"_ yelled the royal commander,

The Capital defenders joined together and raised their metal shields over their heads as a few soldiers broke from their ranks.

 **"Katsuyu, FIRE!"** yelled Tsunade,

The giant slug took in a deep breath before shooting off a massive barrage of acid from her mouth. However, before the lethal attack could hit the enemy, the few of their soldiers that had broken rank actually turned out to be ninjas who quickly slammed their hands on the ground.

 **"Earth Style: Earth Wall!"**

Tsunade snarled when multiple layers of earth walls rose from the ground covering the entire royal army contingent from the rain of acid fire. Katsuyu poured more of the lethal liquid, but as soon as she broke through one layer of wall another was there to replace the lost one.

 _They are trying to tire her out._

Tsunade glanced at her own smaller forces and watched many Namikaze maintain a safe distance from the acid rain. But instead of standing idly, they were all hammering multiple explosive kunai on the enemy walls but their attacks were having even less affect than Katsuyu's.

She ordered her battle partner to stop her attack and waited for the enemy to take the bait.

They didn't.

The layers of earth wall were still standing strong despite the best efforts of Tsunade's forces. Once her forces were tired, the 2000 warriors and ninjas would emerge from that shell and slaughter them with sheer numbers.

Tsunade charged forward with a murderous battlecry as she jumped off from Katsuyu's head going straight towards the earth walls. In the air, she backflipped herself making her chakra coated right leg slam at the center of the enemy defense formation.

 ** _CRACK_**

Several large cracks appeared all over the wall as Tsunade slammed into the structure with her entire force. Snarling furiously, she attacked the structure with her furious fists making more and more holes appear everywhere.

 **"Katsuyu, breach!"**

Her summon didn't give any verbal reply but instead unleashed several smaller versions of slugs from her body that Tsunade quickly caught in her arms. Without hesitation, she placed the creatures across many of the new holes in the earth wall as they all started to pour acid from their bodies.

Even if they enemy could reform more and more walls to protect themselves, the temperature within the structure would increase very rapidly. It wouldn't be long before they would be forced to break out or die from the insufferable heat.

Tsunade jumped off the wall and commanded her troops to take to the nearby roofs. When they were all clear, she performed a set of hand seals before slamming her hands on the ground.

 **"Earth Style: Star Crater!"**

The entire ground started sinking lower and lower as thousands of royal soldiers screamed in panic. Tsunade saw her troops had taken up positions across the rooftops and were now staring at the sinking ground **.**

 **"Katsuyu, flood them now!"** yelled Tsunade urgently,

The slug unleashed another massive river of acid from its mouth flooding the core of the sinking ground first before focusing on making the escaping borders full of acid. Tsunade forced her summon to stop as she saw the enemy walls cracking now that the heat was unbearable for the royalists. They were about to be cooked alive from the heat of the smaller Katsuyu's unleashing acid in their cracked walls...

The walls cracked open urgently as thousands of panicked soldiers rushed out to save themselves. To their horror, they were now standing in the middle of a large crater full of acid and the only way outside was crawling up towards the far street.

All around them Namikaze shinobi were waiting for them at the nearest rooftops.

Tsunade steeled herself when she looked at the Namikaze troops and then at the horrified royalists...

 **"FIRE!"**

Hundreds of shuriken and kunai were launched at the royalists. Those soldiers were yet to split up properly and as such were badly hit by the volley of weapons launched by accurate Namikaze ninjas. If that was not enough, Katsuyu's attack was the death blow.

Tsunade closed her eyes when her summon unleashed massive quantities of acid on the trapped royalists. The trapped souls screamed in horror and agony as their skin started to melt before their very eyes. Those at the center of their formation were the first to burn alive, the few who managed to run towards the steep hill of the crater couldn't climb much farther as the Namikaze fighters massacred them all from their superior positions on rooftops with the help of kunai barrages.

Long and painful minutes passed as Tsunade watched the entire enemy army massacred before her very eyes. To their credit, the royalists fought to the last man and even in the face of annihilation they continued to struggle and try to get themselves out of the death trap.

Many would call their actions folly but Tsunade knew they were dying for someone they believed in.

A massive river of acid had now flooded across the entire crater and most of the royalists were floating lifelessly in the liquid with many of the bodied dissolving slowly. The stench was horrible with most of the dead having been killed by acid first before the kunai of the Namikaze warriors took their lives.

Her eyes widened when a last group of royal soldiers charged straight towards her under the leadership of their commander. The officer had third degree burns and his chest was marred with kunai, yet there was murder and determination in his eyes.

The Namikaze ninjas reacted quickly and unleashed another rain of arrows towards the enemy group. It was the royal soldiers who valiantly stepped in between taking the blows aimed for their commander and slumped lifelessly into the acid river.

Tsunade's eyes widened when the enemy commander reached the edge of the crater. He was almost dissolving into the acid with half his legs gone not to mention the continuous barrage of kunai hitting all over his body.

The roar unleashed by the dying man sent shivers down Tsunade's heart leaving her paralyzed as the man launched a mighty spear at her with full force. The Senju's eyes widened and she evaded the incoming weapon in the nick of time only to realize it was _never_ meant for her.

The spear actually sailed high in the air before exploding right beside Katsuyu's left eye.

The creature screamed as the explosive laced on the spear unleashed a mighty shockwave alongwith flames that consumed the entire eye alongwith half of the creature's face. Screaming in agony, it vanished in a puff of smoke much to Tsunade's horror.

Her murderous eye turned towards the man who had hurt her friend and saw the dying man grinning at her defiantly.

He had now sunk to his knees into the acid river with his body a picture of stabbed kunai and shuriken.

 _ **"LONG LIVE THE DAIMYO!"**_

The man exploded himself with the help of hidden explosives inside his tattered uniform. While the explosion itself was small, the shockwave was wide sending brutal tremors across half of the Capital.

Tsunade yelled in horror when dozens of Namikaze fell from the rooftops after suddenly losing their balance due to horrific shockwave. Their screams tore at her heart as they were all consumed in the acid river while they tumbled inside the crater joining the dead royal soldiers.

 _Victory was hers but the enemy had not gone down without a fight._

* * *

Itama Senju was chasing after the royal army alongside his own forces. It was a bizarre scenario which he had never imagined to happen. Instead of facing them openly, the royals had decided to run back towards the vicinity of the Daimyo's Castle.

Itama had no choice but to follow or risk allowing them an opportunity to set another ambush.

Looking at the Daimyo's castle made Itama wonder about the safety of his brother. Hashirama was the strongest fighter he had ever seen and he had almost 500 fighters helping him. Still he could not help but worry for his brother and dearly wished they had Yamanaka in their forces right now if only to help him learn if his brother was safe.

He was disrupted from his thoughts when the royal army reached the gates and suddenly adopted a _tetsudo_ like formation. Looking closely he realized there was a thin barrier that would stop any jutsu being fired by his shinobi from long distance. The Daimyo had went to great lengths to make his fortress very difficult to be attacked by shinobi from the outside.

Still, to figure out such a strategy was not the work of any normal civilian commander.

Itama looked at his own forces and saw he had roughly around 1800 men with him, the remaining were away fighting for his sister and Naruto. The royal army had roughly the same number of forces but still an uneasy feeling was emerging in Itama's gut.

He cursed outloud when nearly a hundred hot-head Inuzuka's charged forward without any warning.

Itama yelled for them to come back but it was too late as suddenly dozens of archers appeared on the Castle walls.

 _It was a trap._

The Inuzuka force realized too late their own folly and paid for it with their lives as they royal archers mercilessly shredded them with hundreds of arrows. The royal army cheered as every single Inuzuka and their ninja dogs was butchered.

Suddenly two of the other gates of the Royal Castle opened up and Itama stiffened.

From the eastern gate emerged _hundreds_ of cavalrymen. Judging from their armor they were veteran Samurai trained to fight against shinobi. From the western gate, emerged two entire platoons of massive _war elephants_ with dozens of archers mounted on top of the beasts. If that was not enough, from Itama's rear emerged hundreds of civilian fighters armed with light swords, axes, and whatever weapon they could find. The defenders of the city were out for the blood of those who had threatened their leader's rule.

The shinobi force buckled and started taking whatever little cover they could find as volley after volley of deadly arrows started raining down on them.

Itama was trapped between the expertly crafted hammer and anvil of the enemy forces. Looking up at the Castle walls, he was surprised to find a Nara commander looking down at him calmly.

The Nara's were said to be the best strategists in the elemental nations and their entire clan was loyal to the Fire Daimyo for generations. Now they were repaying that loyalty when the Daimyo needed it most.

"We've got no chance!" yelled several allied shinobi,

Itama had to think fast or risk the annihilation of his entire force. If they were killed here, it wouldn't matter how strong Naruto or Tsunade were because they would be butchered against this organized army led by a capable Nara commander.

Just looking at the charging war elephants stopped his heart several times. The beasts didn't care if they stepped over houses of nobles or crushed a few unlucky souls that got in their way. Their wide and dangerous tusks making quick work of any human that had the audacity to stop them.

The royal army at the gate was slowly marching forward leaving even less room for Itama's forces to maneuver. There were no high buildings nearby which the shinobi could use to escape, only small but lavish houses that could be easily destroyed by the war elephants.

His army was wavering and none of his family members were here to save him.

It was just him.

He didn't know from where that courage came but he looked at his fighters.

 **"To me!"** he yelled valiantly,

Despite the dire situation, hundreds of Senjus rallied around him followed by many Sarutobi and few Inuzuka that were still left. The few Uchiha's clearly didn't want to follow him anymore, but seeing there was no other choice they did the same.

"Uchiha's use fire to break the cavalry charge!"

"Inuzuka's, you'll charge with me towards the gates drawing the attention of the archers away from the Uchiha's!"

"Senjus and Sarutobi's, block the elephants with earth and water attacks!"

He unleashed his sword and took a deep breath before staring at the heavily organized royal army closing in and the archers ready at the Castle Walls. If this plan was to work, then he had to take the lead as a true leader would.

 **"FOLLOW ME!"**

Itama was the first to charge forward and the brave roars of the Inuzuka fighters told him that they were following his lead.

Maybe it was the sight of him charging bravely at the enemy army or some new found motivation, Itama was glad to see his forces regain some of their vigor and run to carry out the objectives he had assigned to him. He couldn't think about failure right now as he finished performing a set of hand seals.

 **"Lightning Style: Lightning Stag!"**

From his fingers, Itama unleashed gigantic beams of lightning that soon took the form of several massive stags with tall horns of the same element. The Senju were known for their _fury_ and there was no other animal Itama found more befitting to represent his rage. The beasts roared and charged forward cackling devastating lightning bolts across the barrier protecting the royal forces at the gate. Within seconds, it shattered and the stags charged clean through the defensive enemy.

The beasts were not alone as Itama heard another yell,

 **"GATSUGA!"**

The Inuzuka force and their ninja dogs joined together to launch devastating tornado like attacks that drilled massive holes in the enemy formation and butchered hundreds of royal soldiers on the spot. Those who survived the clash were soon being torn apart by the hungry ninja dogs. Their masters son joined them in the slaughter tearing apart enemy forces and taking vengeance for the murder of their comrades.

Itama blocked a sword from a royal soldier and batted away a spear aimed at his ribs. Turning around in a half circle he instantly spilled open the guts of a dozen royal soldiers that tried to corner him down. His eyes narrowed when he spotted several Inuzuka dogs and their masters getting cutting down by the heavy fire from the royal archers on the walls.

With a mighty roar, he jumped high in the air and unleashed a hail of kunai right at the Castle walls.

He grinned in satisfaction when the explosive tags on the kunai went off shredding a third of the Castle walls and burying many archers alive. Several others were caught up in the blast and had their limbs torn off, some were caught on fire and were now running around in panic spreading the deadly element among their disorganized comrades creating even more havoc.

Itama was relieved on seeing the Uchihas forming a single line against the approaching heavy cavalry of Samurai. Their hands moved in sync as they all unleashed their attack at the same time...

 **"Fire Style: Fire Flame Wall!"**

A monstrous tidal wave of fire was unleashed by the Uchiha that roared furiously as it charged right towards the incoming cavalry. It burned houses and even the Castles walls taking down many more archers in its rush to reach its target. The horses panicked on seeing the approaching fire and kicked off dozens of riders from their backs. The Samurai in the middle and rear had to instantly reign their own beasts as their frontline panicked and collapsed. They started to turn around in order to flee from the raging fire wall but were too late as the flames consumed them in a matter of seconds.

Itama found himself cheering alongside the Uchiha's as the entire Samurai cavalry was consumed in flames. The dragon warriors roared before rejoining the battle at the gates helping the Inuzuka slaughtering the diminishing royal foot soldiers. The archers on the wall were mostly dead, thrown off the walls, buried alive, or injured. The few still left alive were bravely doing their best to crush the enemy forces but were not able to make any decisive impact.

The Senju commander continued fighting against his enemies in close combat while wondering about the plan of battle.

Initially, it was agreed upon by both factions that only the Daimyo's family should be secretly captured and the royal Castle taken over. That would have been enough to pacify the thousands of defenders in the city for they would not attack until the enemy had their liege lord hostage. But Hashirama pointed out, that while the defenders would not attack they would surely surround the ninja forces preventing them from leaving or anyone from coming to their help. Leaving those soldiers alone also posed the risk of them calling for reinforcements and making the common civilians rise up in revolt.

No ninja army could stand against more than 150,000 civilians and nearly 9000 highly trained soldiers.

It was why it was decided to not only capture the royal family but also subdue the city garrison that would allow the ninjas to assume complete control over the Capital.

But this plan had several fatal flaws.

The most important one being the ninjas had _underestimated_ the skill, tenacity, and loyalty of not only the city garrison but also those of the civilians loyal to the Daimyo and were now finding themselves trapped.

Second error was the fact that the Daimyo had not only prepared his city but also his forces in fighting against trained ninja forces. The presence of the Nara commander only added further problems for the ninjas. His intervention could be the reason as to why the allied ninja army's flag was yet to fly from the top off the Castle.

Third mistake was the presence of hidden special forces in the form of Samurai cavalry and war elephants which the Daimyo had been expertly able to conceal from the ninjas for a long time. While, the Samurai cavalry was vanquished...

Itama could only watch in horror as the war elephants continued their charge despite facing massive tidal waves of water launched by the Senju. The Sarutobi warriors uprooted the entire ground with the intent to make the elephants panic but instead the beast madly charged forward without any thought for self preservation.

It was then the Senju commander noticed the shadows stretching from top of the beast to its legs. The ones controlling the beasts were now revealed to be Nara shadow binders supported by squads of archers.

Hundreds of ninjas were either crushed alive or sent sailing away halfway across the city as the war elephants smashed into their lines. They were moving more rapidly and wildly than any animal of their kind ever had which was another proof of the Nara's fine control. Whatever Senju or Sarutobi ninjas lucky enough to survive the rage of the beasts found themselves getting slaughtered by the hail of arrows launched by the enemy archers on elephant backs.

Itama grabbed a nearby spear and made ten earth clones of himself quickly. In front of his eyes, hundreds of his fighters were dying horrible deaths. They had followed him into this peril and as their commander it was his responsibility to step up. No more running away, no more cowering in the shadow of his siblings.

 _He had to act!_

The young Senju and his clone force charged forward and took up positions several feet away from the charging elephants. The Nara's saw him instantly and focused their entire force in his direction.

Itama took in a deep breath and controlled his nerves as he commanded his clones to raise their spears while he did the same himself.

"Steady!" yelled Itama, as the beasts crushed a few more of his men.

"Hold!" he commanded again, as his own clones gulped because the beasts were just about to reach them.

 **"TAKE DOWN THE RIDERS!"**

No sooner had he given the command, Itama threw his chakra coated spear right at the one who he assumed was the Nara officer leading this charge. The enemy ninja realizing the threat instantly moved out of the way but in turn lost his control making his elephant crash against the one on his right.

It was as if a tidal wave had been unleashed as one after another the war elephants started colliding with each other. They all gracelessly fell to the ground burying most of their riders including the Nara officers.

The few who managed to remain standing were taken down by the hail of the chakra spears launched by the clone army of Itama.

The ninja forces and royals alike were stunned at the display of valor and skill of one Senju.

Itama was not done as he unleashed his sword and valiantly charged towards the downed beasts intending to make sure they and their masters never rose again. The surviving Senju and Sarutobi were more than inspired by their leader's courage and followed after him.

By the time they finished off the elephants and their riders, Itama found himself facing another grave problem.

He grit his teeth in anger and frustration when he saw the Nara commander of the Castle had personally arrived outside the gates. With his shadow binding, he had already took hold over the bodies of atleast ten Uchiha and three Inuzuka alongwith their dogs. He was making them attack Itama's remaining forces creating more confusion and allowing the remaining royal foot soldiers and archers to hammer down more casualties.

"Let's kill the bastard fast!" proposed one of the Senjus,

"Before he falls he'll make sure to butcher the Uchiha and Inuzuka under his control!" warned a Sarutobi frustratedly,

"Who cares? Let those dragon bastards die!" yelled another Senju,

"What about the Inuzuka? They are our allies or are you craven enough to let them die willingly?" shouted another,

Mayhem broke across his divided forces with each ninja proposing more and more radical suggestions. But if one thing was common was the fact that for the price of the Nara commander's life, the Senjus and Sarutobi's were willing to sacrifice every Uchiha in their force.

This was exactly the kind of scenario Naruto had warned them about. One which could threaten their entire mission and get them all killed.

 **"Shut up and follow my lead!"** barked Itama furiously, never having used such a murderous tone in his entire life. But right now he didn't care.

His men flinched on seeing the raw fury blazing in his eyes. He couldn't believe the nerve of his own men! There were Namikaze fighters currently fighting beside his sister. If those Uchiha bannermen could put aside their differences and actually work side by side with Tsunade herself then these men had no reason to betray their allies.

Hashirama would never forgive him if he let their allies die needlessly.

Most of all, Itama could never forgive _himself_ if he didn't stop this.

When he charged towards the last enemy forces, the Nara commander immediately noticed him and made sure to send every Uchiha and Inuzuka under his control straight towards Itama. A sly grin came on the Senju's face as he decided to take a page out of Naruto's book.

Having personally experienced the power behind this move, he knew how much he needed to apply his power.

When the Uchihas and Inuzuka fighters got close to him, Itama fired bolts of lightning from his hands striking every one of them in non-vital body parts but with enough force to shock their brain. The Nara commander grimaced when his pawns fell unconscious with minor burns, the shock to their neural system enough to make them black out. Naruto had used more than a dangerous amount on Itama, fortunately for _The Young Dragon_ his former enemy was not that vengeful or his people would be dead tonight.

The two armies clashed against each other as Itama reached the Nara commander. He was older than him by atleast a few years and his face was marred by nasty scars which proved he had faced more war than Itama had years.

Itama knew the Nara would force him to engage in long range combat in order to try to capture him with his shadow binding technique. His only option was to get close quickly and finish off the man.

Just when he was about to move, his eyes widened in shock.

One of the Inuzuka dogs leapt out of nowhere and brutally tore apart the head of the enemy commander in a gory manner. The headless body slumped gracelessly to the ground.

The remnants of the royal forces could only watch in despair as their commander was brutally murdered in the chaos.

If that was not enough to break their morale, the cacophony of war horns and a very familiar war cry shattered their last courage.

 ** _Fire and Blood._**

The war cries could be heard even so far away from the gates because they were being yelled out by thousands of bloodthirsty warriors.

Itama had known this could happen but he never actually imagined those bloody dragons would come through.

Whatever miracle happened, it was the death nail for the royals because...

 _Madara Uchiha was here with the entire Uchiha army!_

* * *

Tajima watched his eldest son dismount from his horse and was soon surrounded by various clan heads. The Uchiha patriarch could have taken the lead but their people had chosen Madara as their **Hokage** , this was his son's moment to show their people that their faith was not misplaced.

They were all stunned when they received the urgent message from Naruto stating that conflict was imminent as the Daimyo had been already making steps to take Naruto hostage the moment the Uchiha's refused.

Madara marched his entire army hard and fast to the Capital before the royals could lay a hand on his last sibling.

 _It was a mistake._

Tajima glanced at their vast army and saw nearly a third of their fighters were tired after having ran from the river to the Capital in a span of two hours. A journey which would usually take eight hours. While the veterans looked a bit tired they were still ready enough to fight. The same could not be said of their most inexperienced and youngest fighters who looked ready to fall dead.

Now they had to lay a siege to the strongest city of the world with such a force.

Still, Tajima knew he could not make Madara's choices for him or the boy would never learn how to lead. His victories or losses should be made on his decisions and not on Tajima's instructions. Still, he wished the boy would show restraint in the future.

While it was true Naruto's life was in danger, the boy was not alone.

He had 500 of their most loyal bannermen with him who would defend him to their deaths should the Daimyo make any move against him. But Madara didn't listen, his love for his brother overriding his rational sense of properly leading his army.

Despite the tactical error, Tajima could not openly blame the boy because it would be hypocrisy as he would be doing the same thing as Madara if it was Naori in Naruto's situation.

"Command any fighter in our army who has an aerial summon to call their beast. We shall send in a small force that will open the gates!" commanded Madara,

Shin Aburame demurely nodded in confirmation as he went out to find the said ninjas.

"Have the Kurama fuinjutsu masters start working on disabling the seals on the city walls that prevents our ninjas from scaling them. If that fails, then we'll tear those bloody walls apart!" yelled Madara furiously,

"Hokage-sama, why are there no defenders arriving to stop us?" asked Rei Namikaze suspiciously,

Madara glanced at the tall city walls and activated his sharingan. It was true there were no defenders manning even an inch of those walls. There should be an entire city garrison ready to greet his army on first sight!

He closed his eyes and let his senses flow. At first there was nothing, but as he concentrated more he sensed the disturbance, the sound of steel clashing, the cries of the dead and dying.

"They are already attacking _my brother!_ " hissed Madara murderously,

He turned towards his most loyal bannermen and saw the man look at him with full confidence.

" **Tear these bloody walls apart!** And get me a damn bird, _I'm going in!_ " commanded Madara,

Tajima quickly stepped forward to intervene.

"Madara, don't be hasty. Naruto can take care of himself for a while and you need to lead this army through this siege. Break the gates or scale the walls, whatever you do...don't abandon your forces to the task and rush in like that" chastised Tajima, yet even so he carefully chose his words in order to not diminish the authority of his son in front of all their allies.

"A siege will take _too long_ to break. How can I leave my brother out there to **_die?_** " asked Madara worriedly,

 _Your love for your brother will be the end of you someday, Madara._

Tajima desperately wanted to say those cruel words to his son for making such a grave mistake. But he had to restrain himself and think about how to convince Madara to act like a leader and not like a worried elder brother.

"It's not going to be a siege, Hokage-sama" whispered Rei Namikaze,

Madara and Tajima both turned around to see what had made the Namikaze leader go so pale.

The voice reached them first before the sight...

The Uchiha leadership and their 10,000 strong army could only watch in dismay as thousands of horses broke out of the forest. All of them carrying the royal banners but it was the one leading them that made them shiver.

 _A Deer._

In the thousands of years of clan wars, numerous attempts had been made by both Uchiha and Senju to gain the loyalty of one clan by force, negotiations, bribe and threats. Every attempt had ended in utter failure.

No matter their power, numbers or skilled warriors; No Uchiha or Senju clan head had ever been able to bring this clan to their knees. It became an impossible task when the said clan swore loyalty to the Daimyo and received his protection leaving them out of the grasp of their enemies.

They were not the strongest fighters of the world but they had a power not even Tajima could dismiss.

The Uchiha clan head clenched his fist when he saw _Daen Nara_ at the head of this army that only seemed to grow larger and larger as more and more royal fighters came running out of the forests.

Atleast 5000 Samurai Cavalry, 3000 archers, 12000 infantry, and another 6000 or so bunch of mixed fighters carrying the emblems of Shogun or mercenary armies. Among this vast sea of royal forces, there were also nearly 4000 Nara fighters rushing towards the battlefield.

 _It was a trap and they all fell for it._

Tajima bitterly smiled at the ingenuity of the man he was here to depose. From one hand he offered a choice of slavery and with his other he prepared a sword to stab into the hearts of his enemies should they refuse.

The said sword was the entire royal army lead by the Nara clan that now surrounded the enemies of the royal family.

Naori glanced at her brother in alarm, even if she was not a military strategist her eyes could see the 10,000 strong Uchiha army was now facing a 30,000 strong royal army of the Daimyo lead by one of the most feared clans of the world.

They literally had their backs against the wall facing an enemy that outnumbered them _3 to 1_ which was not taking into account the summoning creatures that would be unleashed, the nasty tricks the Nara's would definitely play or the possibility of the city defenders striking them from the back.

The Uchiha army was now trapped between the hammer and the anvil.

Madara's face was blank for several long moments even as his supporters looked at him for an order. And then the newly appointed Hokage smirked...

Naori shivered when Madara unleashed his sword and gunbai at the same time. Following his lead almost every Uchiha who all loved Madara unleashed their weapons forcing their allies to do the same. She looked at Tajima to stop this madness for no matter their skill or courage, they would all be slaughtered here to the last man because of the sheer numbers the enemy had brought with them.

But then she realized they had already rebelled against the Daimyo, if they surrendered right now their fate would be worse than death. She looked at the Capital and could only pray for the safety of her trapped nephew because it didn't look like they would be able to help him anytime soon if ever.

Not even Kami could save them from their doom but it didn't stop Naori from unleashing her own sword as Madara charged forward and was joined by thousands of his forces.

" **Let's show these weaklings** _how to dance!_ " barked Madara with a laugh, his battlelust taking him over.

While the Uchihas understood the joke and laughed like their bloodthirsty leader, their allies could only hesitantly prepare themselves as the enemy army started to spread out in order to encircle them.

Both armies were now rushing towards each other in a mighty clash that would soon change the course of history for either side.

Until, thousands of warriors from both sides lost their balance as a massive tremor passed across the land. The next moment there was a monstrous sound of a horrible explosion which instantly shrouded the entire battlefield in dust and smoke.

Madara and Tajima stopped each other from falling. When they were sure of their footing they looked at their rear from where the explosion had come from. The entire area near the city walls was now shrouded in dust and debris.

However, Madara with his sharingan saw what others didn't and he _froze._

His shock was soon passed among his family and entire army alike, even the enemy forces that were previously confident of their victory now started taking several steps back in horror.

As the dust cleared a mighty roar shook the entire landscape.

A roar which had not been heard in a thousand years.

Naori fell to her knees as she saw the monstrous shadow step out of the dust. The first thing everyone noticed was its _sheer size_ and _demonic eyes_ that glared at all of them as if they were pesky insects. Its massive nine tails were unleashed in every direction threatening to crush this entire land with one swing. But what brought nearly half of both armies to their knees was not the beast's size...

 _But the unending hatred and anger that threatened to burn them all in a never ending inferno._

"I...don't...believe...it...all...this...time..." whispered Tajima in awe,

Madara was the first to catch sight of a shining glint on top of the beast with his sharingan. He could never fail to recognize that sword nor could he not recognize the man in golden armor bearing the dragon on his chest. The lone warrior was murderously glaring at the royal army.

"A Biju..." whispered Naori in fear,

"Naruto..."

Madara's declaration shocked each and every clan head and ninja alike as they all now saw the youngest son of Tajima standing atop the massive nine tailed fox. And his eyes were as cold as ice...

They all watched _The Young Dragon_ raise his sword and point it straight at the stunned form of Daen Nara, the enemy commander. No words were spoken but the message was clear.

The reply from the royal army commander would be pondered over by historians for several centuries because instead of doing what most would expect from a Nara in this situation, Daen picked himself up from the ground and grabbed a nearby sword calmly pointing it straight at Naruto.

 _Nor would any historian or shinobi alike ever forget The Young Dragon's words..._

 **"CHARGE, KURAMA!"**


	21. The End of an Era

**Here comes the finale of this arc. Thank you for the support, hope you continue it.**

 **Music Recommendation for this Chapter: Say Something- A Great Big World Instrumental Karaoke (Youtube)**

 **Chapter 21**

 **The End of an Era**

* * *

Naruto stared at the enemy commander who glared at him defiantly. But instead of arrogance, he saw the grim determination in Daen Nara's eyes. The clan head was well aware that a defeat here or retreat could spell the end of not just the Daimyo's rule but his entire dynasty's and if those monarchs fell from power, then the Nara clan would lose their protection making them open targets for the Uchiha and Senju.

Those two ancient clans had not forgotten the everlasting defiance the Nara's had shown to them over the thousands of years and would make them pay for it dearly in blood if not outright annihilation.

Even the Samurai's livelihood depended on their service to the Daimyo, if that man's rule was overthrown then they would become jobless and always be looked down upon by shinobi.

They had no choice but to fight.

The same was not the case for the common civilian soldiers, shogun and mercenary warriors. These thousands of fighters were trained to defeat great armies and even ninjas, but none of them had the first idea as to how they could defeat a Biju. They would all be massacred before they could even harm a hair on Kurama's body and their fear was clearly evident for Naruto to see. Still, their commander had decided to fight and it was their obligation to follow him no matter the consequences.

Despite the perilous situation the 5000 strong Samurai heavy cavalry was the first to charge on Daen Nara's command in order to stop Kurama who was charging towards the royal army. It was a sight not a single person present here would ever forget.

No matter how hopeless the situation was, the Samurai's charged forward with hundreds of them slashing their swords trying to take out Kurama's legs. To their dismay not even a single sword could make a tiny scratch on the Biju's tough legs.

Naruto grimaced when Kurama roared furiously before smashing his tails wildly over the Samurai cavalry. Within seconds hundreds of Samurai and their poor warhorses were being crushed to death. So bad was their fate that not even a body was left to recover by the time Kurama pummeled them into the bloodied ground.

He should be feeling overjoyed on seeing his enemies die like flies but the sight only filled him with more sadness as these brave men were dying for a lost cause. He heard Kurama roar murderously as hundreds of Nara attached their shadow binding technique all over the Biju's legs.

"Now it ends" whispered Naruto,

The furious Biju opened its mouth and to the horror of the Nara's they saw that while their shadows had trapped the beast for now, it had not allowed them any control over the beast's other actions. A fact they realized too late as Kurama started creating a massive **Bijudama.**

The royal army paled and most of the mercenary ninjas started fleeing instantly, so did many civilian soldiers. They had lost what little courage they had left on seeing the monstrosity the beast was about to unleash. Even if they couldn't feel chakra, they could see what was about to unleashed was _big._

And then something happened.

Madara was witnessing the most memorable battle of his life. His eyes could not believe the power of his brother's pet beast which was just about to go up another notch as it started forming a **Bijudama** until Naruto knelt and placed a hand on his friend's head. _The Biju stopped..._

No words were spoken but the massive ball of chakra being created by the fox shattered.

The fox sighed but nodded in resignation as Naruto jumped off the beast and landed gracefully across the battlefield. The remaining Samurai cavalry flinched at the sight of him and even if they wanted to attack him, Kurama's menacing eyes dared them to do such a thing and face the penalties.

Tajima and many other Uchiha growled in frustration when Naruto started walking towards Daen Nara and his army.

" _Honorable fool_ " hissed Tajima, but before he could move to save his idealistic son it was Naori who placed a hand on his shoulder.

" **Don't** " she warned,

"He'll get himself _killed_ " said Tajima heatedly, earning a nod from Madara who also looked ready to charge in order to protect his brother.

Naori watched her youngest nephew walked calmly towards the enemy army. She had watched this boy grow up before her and what she saw today was not something she had ever seen before.

 _You have grown up, Naruto._

"He knows what he's doing. _Trust him_ " she declared, leaving no room for doubt making Tajima and Madara sigh but they did step down making the others do the same as all their eyes shifted towards the boy in golden armor who stepped towards Daen Nara.

Both armies watched the Nara commander and Uchiha stand before each other at a respectable distance.

"Quite a beast you got there" commented Daen without any sarcasm, the man was simply stating the hard and bitter fact.

"That I have" agreed Naruto keeping his face set in stone,

"Why are you here?" asked Daen curiously,

"Look at your men..."

The Nara commander was forced to look at the now 22,000 strong royal forces that were still standing with him. The rest had either fled or were simply butchered by the fox. In each and every person's eyes he saw fear, doubt and despair.

"I don't want to slaughter men needlessly" said Naruto honestly, making the Nara commander sigh.

"You know I have no choice but to fight" replied Daen bitterly,

"What if you don't have to?" questioned Naruto sincerely,

Daen blinked and looked at the young Uchiha before him. There was not a shred of treachery or hidden agenda in those eyes, _this boy..._

"Neither Uchiha or Senju will spare us if the Daimyo is overthrown. My people weren't exactly known to be either clan's lap dogs, we valued our independence then and we still value it now. Besides, your father and Tobirama Senju are not known for showing mercy to those who have defied them" pointed Daen Nara frankly,

Daen waited for the boy to refute the accusations he had laid against Tajima or even Tobirama, to his surprise Naruto never flinched and looked him right in the eye.

"Then _retain_ your independence. Serve neither Uchiha or Senju but whoever is chosen the next ruler of the Land of Fire. Bend the knee and your clan lives, your soldiers live, your people live" promised Naruto,

Daen glanced at Tajima nervously as the Uchiha clan head was glaring at him with cold murder in his eyes.

"We all know what your father did to _Kento Senju's family_..." said Daen worriedly **,**

 **"I am not that man"**

Daen could not help but admire the conviction in those eyes and the sincerity burning in them. He glanced at Tajima again but then looked at Naruto who never looked away from him. Daen saw Kurama actually nod much to his shock suggesting the beast actually supported the boy's offer.

Whatever Tajima or Tobirama were capable of, the Nine Tailed fox could surely do more harm should he be insulted.

And the only way that could happen was if Daen refused this Uchiha before him.

Daen looked at his own clansmen and the royal army soldiers. Most of them nodded as he closed his eyes and looked at Naruto with a resigned smile on his face.

"I never thought I would ever see an Uchiha with _honor._.." said Daen, making Naruto's lips twitch into a faint smile.

"Let's end this senseless bloodshed" proposed Naruto, as he extended his hand towards the Nara.

The said man glanced at him one last time before raising his own hand and joined it with Naruto's.

"The under these terms, **I surrender** " declared Daen loudly for every soldier to hear,

Madara and his entire army could only gape in shock as one by one each and every royal soldier threw down his weapon and knelt marking their official surrender. He actually saw the fox smile when Naruto turned back and walked towards his family's army.

Naori wanted nothing more than to hug the boy standing before her. It was one thing to mercilessly slaughter one's enemy when your victory was assured, but an entirely different matter when you offer that defeated enemy a chance to surrender peacefully. It was a double edged sword with many risks, history was proof of success and failures behind such moves. Naruto could have wiped out the entire enemy army with the help of his Biju, but he showed mercy.

What consequences it would have for him and their people was something only the future would tell them.

She restrained herself from hugging the boy as he was currently staring at Tajima, Madara, and all the clan heads alongwith their entire army right in the eye. Gone was the look of a devoted Uchiha who would do anything for his clan, these were now the eyes of a man who had committed himself to a cause.

"The Daimyo has been captured. The city has fallen and the royal army has surrendered, _we have won_ " declared Naruto calmly,

Shock and disbelief ripped through the Uchiha army on hearing those words. They all had came here prepared for a bloody fight only to realize that it was already over. Many glanced at the massive fox, a beast that dangerous could have reduced the city to ashes and yet the Capital was still standing which could only mean Naruto took it by force.

While _The Young Dragon_ was a brave and skilled man with an army of 500 fighters, he would have to go through thousands of royal guards. A feat impossible to accomplish unless he used the beast, or...

Tajima was the first to arrive at this conclusion as he narrowed his eyes dangerously at his youngest son who had the grace to gulp nervously.

"You have a lot of _explaining_ to do, **boy** " warned Tajima,

"Yes, Father" agreed Naruto reluctantly, despite his great victory the cold glare of his father made him feel like the young boy from his past. Tajima could be very intimidating when he wanted to, backed by an entire army the same man could prove disastrous.

Naori sensed the rising tension in the air and decided to quickly intervene. Just one glance at Naruto's nervous gaze was enough to show her the boy had done something _very bad_. Knowing Tajima, he would lash out quickly and that would not bode well for Naruto's reputation which was skyrocketing these days among their faction. After seeing what power he was capable of displaying with the Biju, it was best for their faction if they listened to the boy and not alienate him.

"We shall talk but not here. Understood?" she commanded, looking at all the clan heads and her own family.

Surprisingly, it was Madara who was the first to agree which made everyone else fall in line as well. The young Hokage was glancing at the giant fox with a gleam in his eye which Naori didn't miss, the same was the case for many of the more militaristic clan heads. The only thing keeping them from just outright grabbing the beast was Naruto's presence and the prior memory of what the fox could do if enraged.

Tajima finally gave a nod but never once did his cold and merciless eyes leave his son's.

* * *

 **"YOU TOOK IT UPON YOURSELF TO ALLY US WITH OUR SWORN ENEMIES?"**

Not one man in the large hall didn't flinch on hearing Tajima's thunderous roar. The Uchiha patriarch was fuming in anger, his murderous eyes glaring at his youngest son standing in the center of the hall with a composed look on his face. Naruto held his ground despite the heated glares he received from the various clan heads, not to mention from his own father and brother.

Even Naori was taken aback by his choice.

The only one standing beside the boy was the fox who had reduced himself to the size of a small wolf much to the amazement of the ninjas present in the room. When their force had marched through the city, they had seen the carnage it had gone through and the dead littering in the streets. Still the bloodshed was minimal with only 800 allied ninjas dead in comparison to the 8500 royal guards and 400 civilians. Hundreds more were injured but the Daimyo was taken prisoner and his three sons died trying to defend the royal monarch despite Hashirama's best efforts.

Most had expected Tajima to instantly attack the weakened Senjus and probably the Uchiha patriarch would have done so had he not received a pointed stare from the monstrous Biju that made him back down and agree to talk first before waging war again.

Still, the capital was tense as a cold war had erupted between the Senju and Uchiha factions. The only thing keeping them from jumping at each other's throats was the presence of the Biju and the responsibility of watching over the surrendered royal army and the Nara clan.

In a matter of hours, the oldest dynasty to rule the Land of Fire had been overthrown.

But it didn't matter to Tajima and his supporters for all they were seeing right now was a foolish boy who not only agreed to marry a Senju but also robbed them of their rightful vengeance. It didn't matter to them that most of them alongwith their people would be dead by the time the last Senju was killed...

Even Madara was for once in agreement with his father which did not bode well for Naruto.

"I did what I thought was right" said Naruto tiredly,

"I can have you _beheaded_ for this" replied Tajima coldly,

Naruto's eyes widened in shock, his father was many things but never once had he made such a threat. A fact which had shocked not just him but every person in the room. It went to show how deep the man's hate for the Senjus went...

"Father..."

"Show too much _kindness_ to your enemies and you'll wake up one day to find your throat **_slit!_** " barked Tajima,

"Father's right, Naruto. The Senjus are weak right now, together with out army and the fox we can defeat them" urged Madara passionately, earning many nods from the clan heads.

Kurama snorted in disgust which made Madara narrow his eyes for his brother had not rebuked the beast for that audacity.

"They killed _our brothers_ , Naruto" said Madara sadly,

The faces of three young boys flashed before Naruto's eyes and for a moment he wanted nothing more than to join Madara, but then he also the faces of two unborn girls that were yet to see the world. Could he allow them to feel the pain he had? Could he willingly let them be born into this savage world? Could he allow them to watch their siblings die for a petty feud?

He and everyone else in the room got his answer when his sharingan came alive and a monstrous killing intent was unleashed.

 **"I'M TIRED OF FIGHTING!"**

His outburst stunned not only his family but all their bannermen. His furious eyes glared at all of them which made many flinch and made Tajima as well as Madara shut their mouth. Never before had they seen this look in Naruto's eyes...

The look of a man haunted by death, war and misery alongwith unbearable pain.

"It's all I have done since I came into this world. _I've killed men and women, I've burned clan heads alive, I have given orders that lead to the slaughter of entire clan to the last child!_ " yelled Naruto disgustedly,

" **You're no son of mine...** " whispered Tajima in disbelief, not knowing how much it hurt his son.

" _I am your son_ , **Father.** I am more like _you_ than any of your children, it is why I know that the best course of action for our people is to make peace. If not for ourselves then for _our children_..." pleaded Naruto,

Suddenly, Madara got up from his chair and briskly walked towards his sibling. Everyone tensed and Kurama even stepped forward growling at the approaching Uchiha, to the beast's surprise Madara not only ignored him but brushed past him to grab Naruto by the collar of his shirt.

Naruto had never seen his brother so furious and disappointed at the same time. Madara would die for him without hesitation but right now his brother looked about ready to kill him.

"Give me _one_ reason why I should _not_ kill you right now? Tell me why you are doing this because I know you desire revenge as much as me for what they did to our brothers. For what they did to _Izuna_..." whispered Madara fiercely, his sharingan glaring heatedly at those of his brother's.

Naruto looked at his brother and he saw Madara was not joking around. His brother loved him but what he was asking was everything Madara had desired in his entire life. If he tried to take that away without a just reason, Madara would not kill him but no longer would his brother love him. A blow which would be the death of Naruto himself...

Closing his eyes, he leaned closer so that he was near his brother's ear.

 _"You're going to be an Uncle, Brother"_

Madara stepped back as his eyes went wide unable to believe what he just heard. Naruto had kept a lot of secrets from him over the years, the most dangerous being the fact that he had a Biju following him around for years. But this was even bigger than that...

But it did explain why he wanted to make peace with the Senjus.

"You're not lying to me?" asked Madara seriously,

"No" whispered Naruto defeatedly,

Kurama was gaping at his friend for revealing his most important secret to someone like Madara. He had never trusted the eldest son of Tajima, the thirst for power and revenge was clear to see in those eyes. While Naruto reminded the fox of Indra when the Uchiha founder was a boy, Madara reminded the fox of the power hungry man Indra became.

Still, for Naruto's sake he had tolerated Madara but if he or as a matter of fact anyone else tried to harm the boy, then they would feel his _true wrath._

Kurama was not blind as to how much Naruto had sacrificed for this peace. How much the boy was risking to stop this unending war, no ordinary man could have done such things. In the boy, Kurama saw hope for humanity for the first time and he would be damned if he let these fools take that away from him.

But he was surprised when Madara instead of lashing out at his brother actually sighed. He looked a lot older right now than he actually was.

"Our people chose me as _Hokage_ , brother. You think the Senjus will still want peace when they learn this? Would they still desire peace when the Uchiha don't give them leadership over the Land of Fire because Father will **_die_** before he lets that happen!" asked Madara seriously,

"I'll find _someway_ , brother. But I cannot do it alone, you once promised me that it will always be _you_ and _me_ against the entire world. For your sake, I remained _loyal_ to this family and our clan even after what happened that night. I have fought for _you_ my entire life...but now I need you to fight for _me_ again" explained Naruto honestly, his eyes becoming moist.

Madara flinched as he was reminded of the pact he and Naruto had made to each other when they were young boys who had just lost their brothers. Naruto had kept that promise just as he had kept every other promise and so had Madara. But this went beyond everything Madara could have ever imagined.

He looked at the fox and saw the beast was ready to jump at this throat should he attack Naruto, but the fox didn't have to worry.

Without another word, the eldest son of Tajima walked away from the hall much to Naruto's shock.

The boy's shoulders slumped as he realized this was his defeat.

 **"You are all fools"**

His eyes widened when Kurama stepped forward and spoke for the first time. Every person in the room stared in shock on hearing the beast actually speak the common tongue. Tajima went pale and so did his sister...

Kurama saw Naruto urging him not to reveal his true power and it made him even more grateful to the boy. Even now at the brink of losing his family and allies, Naruto had not revealed Kurama's identity to his people. It had been the Biju who had offered his help to crush the royal army while Naruto wanted to find another way.

Even against Madara, Naruto had not revealed Kurama's true mission or the extent of his powers.

 _You truly kept your promise, Naruto Uchiha. Now it is time I keep mine..._

" _What are you?_ " whispered Tajima, bringing Kurama back from his thoughts.

He ignored Naruto's pleading gaze to stop and instead walked towards the Uchiha clan head. Several guards bravely or foolishly stepped in his way but were waved away when Tajima dared to look the beast in the eye.

 **"Contrary to what you think, I am not a mindless beast. I was created by the Sage of Six Paths, I was there when your ancestor Indra was born. I was there when he waged war against his brother that has been going on till this day. And if you think for one second that I will butcher Senjus just because you want it, then you are a _moron!_ "** barked Kurama,

 _"WHAT!"_ hissed Tajima furiously,

 **"I _don't_ fight for the Uchiha and I _don't_ fight for the Senjus either. I am _loyal_ to my only friend who saw me as a person and not as a weapon. He remained loyal to me all these years and in turn I have remained loyal to him and will remain so until his last day. You all have lost a lot to this war, but so have the Senjus. The only thing that can come out of this war is the end of both clans and their allies"** warned Kurama,

"I will _not_ stop until I make those bastards _kneel_ before me and then take their lives for what they did to _my family!_ " roared Tajima,

If looks could kill both the fox and the Uchiha patriarch should have burned each other to death. All the clan heads were silently watching this match dreading the conclusion.

Kurama restrained himself from killing this man right here, so blinded by hate was this human that he couldn't even make decisions that were best for the future of his children.

 _"Enough!"_

Naori Uchiha walked towards her brother and laid a firm hand on his shoulder. Tajima glanced at her steely gaze and took a step back as the Uchiha woman stepped before Kurama.

"What do you want, fox?" asked Naori calmly,

 **"Atleast hear out what the Senjus have to say. Try to make peace as your father did..."** urged Kurama, as both Tajima and Naori stiffened.

"How-"

 **"I told you I have been here in this world for a long time. Your father was a good man and one of the finest Uchiha leaders I ever saw in history. What happened to him was wrong and you made the Senjus pay for that dearly. But if you continue this war, then your children will suffer just like you have. And so will their children after them..."** explained Kurama honestly,

Naori glanced at her nephew and saw the pain in his eyes. She and Tajima had lost their siblings early in their life, but Madara and Naruto had watched their brothers die when they were merely young boys themselves. Those two had seen more death and suffering than either she or her brother ever had. The only reason they had survived was the fact that they were strong and remained united. A fact which could change on the decisions made today...

"Very well. We'll _listen_ to what the Senjus have to say" declared Naori,

 _"Sister!"_ barked Tajima in anger, but was again silenced when she ignored him and looked straight at the fox.

"And if we don't find their terms _satisfactory_ then the war continues, with or without your help fox" warned Naori, earning a snort and a nod from the beast.

 **"That's all I can ask"** grunted Kurama, as he marched back towards Naruto.

The boy looked at his aunt but she shook her head making him sigh as he left the hall. Naori soon commanded the remaining clan heads to leave them and when they were gone she turned towards her furious brother.

 _"We need to talk"_

* * *

Hashirama had been nervously pacing in his room with his siblings watching him worriedly. They had won the Capital and now the city was theirs. Many good men and women died for that but the Daimyo was a prisoner now alongwith his wife and daughters, the fire lord's son's chose to die fighting than let their father be overthrown. Hashirama was too late to stop them from dying...

He had watched Naruto unleash the Biju against the royal army and Nara's...

Hashirama had dreaded that the boy would wipe out all those people mercilessly like any Uchiha would. What happened next was not something Hashirama had expected from any Uchiha, much less Naruto...

The boy gave the enemy a chance to surrender saving thousands of lives and in doing so preserved the future of all the millions of families of those royal soldiers. He made the Uchihas back down and even got them into a room to negotiate peace with the Senjus...

But now he was worried for the boy. Hashirama knew what kind of man Tajima was and many lords who followed him were just as ruthless and vicious, they could very well kill the boy for robbing them off their revenge. The only thing that gave Hashirama hope was Madara's presence in the room, as long as Madara was there nobody would dare lift a finger at his only surviving brother.

He was brought out of his thoughts when the door of his room was slammed open, his siblings unleashed their weapons when they saw the Senju guards outside had dropped unconscious as the striking form of _Madara Uchiha_ approached towards them.

Hashirama could not help but feel happy and even more worried at the same. It was so good to see his old friend but one look in his furious eyes was enough to make Hashirama tense.

Without warning, Madara cast a scathing glance at Tsunade and Itama.

 **"Get Out!"**

The two Senjus blinked at the _audacity_ of this Uchiha but Hashirama saw how tense his friend was and if disobeyed then he might very well resort to violence to make that happen. So he curtly gestured to his siblings to comply, they grumbled but obeyed his commands and walked outside the room. But Hashirama knew they were not far away, waiting to come to his aide if Madara turned hostile...

"It's good to see you, Madara" said Hashirama with a true smile,

"Wish I could say the same" grunted Madara, as he deactivated his sharingan.

Hashirama silently waited as he saw Madara pace across the room without speaking. This went on for a few long moments before the Uchiha looked at him seriously...

"My brother is a good man, Hashirama" said Madara, and was surprised when Hashirama nodded with an even wider smile.

"He's the _best_ of your people" praised Hashirama, which only made Madara grimace.

"Good men don't survive in this world, Hashirama. _Only the worst do..._ " replied Madara sadly, as the faces of his dead brothers flashed before his eyes.

"Not if they have the _support_ of others..." countered Hashirama, earning a bittersweet chuckle from his dark haired friend.

"Neither of us have changed. _We are like Ice and Fire..._ "

Hashirama froze as realization struck him.

The Uchiha's were always like the **Fire:** _Dangerous, swift and all consuming. Their love was as fierce as their hatred, their sanity as great as their madness, their courage as great as their arrogance._

The Senju's on the other hand were like **Ice:** _Long lasting, enduring and unending. Their silent fury as great as their gentle hearts, their calmness as dangerous as their ability to create storms._

 _The savior shall be born by the joining of two ancient elements..._

Hashirama still remembered that old toad's prophecy revealed to him a few years ago. The frog had been vague and smiled at him when Hashirama said he didn't understand. The only thing the geezer had told him to not fight fire with fire but calm it with ice. Hashirama hadn't understood then...

But he did now.

"You once told me there is nothing in this world more _precious_ to you than your last brother" said Hashirama seriously,

"It was then and it remains the same now" agreed Madara, despite the tense situation. This Uchiha had many faults but if one thing Hashirama had always admired about Madara was his love for his siblings. There was not anything this man would not do for them.

"If we fight then your brother's life will be in danger. You may have the Biju on your side, but you know what _I_ am capable of" said Hashirama gravely,

Madara chuckled.

"Now who's being cocky?" asked Madara amusedly, it had always been Hashirama teasing him about the same thing and now that man was doing the very same thing himself.

"I'm serious, Madara"

The Uchiha stopped laughing and looked at his friend. There was no doubt in Hashirama's eyes, his face set in stone.

"I'd like to take my chances" challenged Madara with a dark grin, just like fire.

"I have _three_ siblings left, Madara. By the time we are done you'll have **_none_**..." warned Hashirama, his voice as cold as ice.

Madara paled and his eyes widened as he saw an image of Tobirama plunging his sword into Naruto's heart. His brother coughed, his eyes wide in shock and pain. Madara ran to him and caught him in his arms, watching his _last brother_ gurgle painfully before falling silent forever.

Time stopped for him as he kept on looking at that pale face of the jovial and sarcastic boy he had loved his entire life. A boy who meant everything to Madara, one who had two little girls waiting for him but would never see him again.

He was brought out of his thoughts when he felt a gentle hand placed on his shoulder. Dazed, he looked up to see his old friend staring at him with a knowing and sympathetic look in his eyes.

" _I know how you feel_ , Madara. Our families have torn each other apart for thousands of years and it will go on until we **stop** this madness. Don't make peace for me or anyone else either, do it for _your brother_ " urged Hashirama,

"My people already declared me **Hokage** , Hashirama. Do you still want peace after that?" asked Madara skeptically,

"I'll admit it will be difficult to make my people accept peace with you as Hokage. But they _will_ accept it" said Hashirama with conviction burning in his eyes,

"Why?" asked Madara hesitantly,

 _"Because I believe in you"_

Madara looked at this man in disbelief. His throat felt dry, his lips trembled, and his wide eyes could only stare at this man with shock. In him, he saw that young boy with whom he had played stone throwing across the river, the same boy whom he had shared his desire for peace, the same person with whom he had wanted to create a new world where his brother and family would remain safe.

"What about the leadership of the Land of Fire? Who will replace the Daimyo?" asked Madara worriedly,

"What do you mean? Aren't you supposed to lead now that you are named Hokage?" questioned Hashirama in confusion,

Madara sighed.

"I am _not_ a politician, Hashirama. I am a ninja, ask me to defend these lands against armies and I will gladly do so. I might even excel every single time but ask me to discuss trade and politics, and I'll make a _spectacle_ of myself. I rarely compromise or negotiate, ** _I command_** " explained Madara honestly,

"And I am too _soft hearted_ which might work well in maintaining relations but disastrous when it comes to ruling" admitted Hashirama, receiving a disbelieving look from his friend.

"The people _love_ you, Hashirama. They'll accept you as their new Daimyo and I will support you if you let me be Hokage. I'll keep command over the military forces while you make sure that our lands and people prosper" offered Madara honestly,

"Your father will _never_ agree to this..." pointed Hashirama worriedly,

Both of them became silent as their dilemma hanged over their heads like a sword. They were glad to put their differences aside for the sake of their family but to make their people not just see reason but _accept_ it was a grave challenge. There were hard liners on both sides who wanted war and would use the first chance to start it.

How to arrive at a solution that would be acceptable to all if not welcomed?

Hashirama was surprised when Madara smiled a little.

"What is it?"

"I think I have a solution which will be _acceptable_ to my Father. But I might need quite a _lot_ of help from you..." said Madara hesitantly,

Hashirama gave his friend an unwavering nod as he replied,

"Whatever you need to make this peace, Madara"

* * *

The large courtroom that once belonged to the Fire Daimyo and his advisers was currently packed with almost every ninja lord of the country. Great and minor clans all were here representing the two most powerful factions of the world. Kurama couldn't even remember the last time there was such a gathering except for the sole purpose of killing each other.

On the right side of the large hall sat Tajima Uchiha alongwith several clan heads representing Namikaze, Shimura, Aburame, Kurama, Yuhi, Hatake, Yamanaka and several minor ninja clans. Together, they made up the _largest_ military alliance in the elemental nations.

On the left side of the large hall sat the tall figure of Hashirama Senju, Tobirama Senju, Itama Senju alongwith their various allies representing Sarutobi, Inuzuka, Akimichi, and many other minor clans. Together, they were the most _wealthiest_ and _influential_ faction in the world.

In the center of the hall were seated the Nara clan head and various former royal army commanders alongwith Naruto Uchiha. The said boy had decided to sit away from his people considering they were angry at him, to make him not feel alone both Kurama and Tsunade had joined him much to his surprise. Following their example, the Kinsguard had also taken positions with their leader rather than their faction.

It was more of a _shouting match_ and _insult trading_ than any formal negotiations. Old feuds and rivalries could be seen openly with various clan heads trying to insult one another.

Tsunade was more than pleased to see her brother released from captivity. At first the Uchiha's were reluctant as they wanted to have more leverage, surprisingly it was Naori Uchiha who reminded her people that the Senjus had honored their vow to return **Dawn** and they must honor their side of the bargain. It was not welcomed, but Tsunade had seen the power Naori wielded as she made sure Tobirama was released. It would seem Naruto was not the only Uchiha who really wanted to try for peace because that action had removed some of the bitterness between their factions. It was not much but it was a start...

The arguments were going nowhere and the atmosphere was getting more heated until Naruto got up from his chair. He made sure to released a considerable killing intent that made everyone shut up one after another and look at him.

"My lords and ladies, all of us are missing the fact that _together_ we overthrew a dynasty that had lasted for **_centuries_**. We did it because we were together and we can do _more_ for our lands and people; but not if we try to kill each other rather than work together" urged Naruto, and was not surprised when one of his own bannermen presented his objection to the cause.

"The Daimyo is defeated, our war with the royals is over. We have a Biju that you can command to fight for us and defeat the Senjus once and for all. _Fuck the peace!_ " said Tobi Shimura passionately, earning cheerful nods from his allies and curses from the Senjus.

Not surprisingly again it was a Senju ally who gave a befitting reply to that threat.

" **Bring it on** , _you prick_! We have defeated your kind for thousands of years and we'll do it again with Hashirama and his family. Biju or not, we can kick your _arses_ back to the **_shitty holes_** you came from!" barked Sasuke Sarutobi, earning loud roars of approval from his side.

The main Uchiha and Senju families could only grimly watch as their supporters viciously attacked one another with more and more sharp words. The situation was about to go haywire until Daen Nara stood up, despite being a former enemy the Nara's were respected as worthy foes by both factions and was the reason as to why everyone became silent and stared at the scarred clan head.

" _Neither_ side will win if you continue to war. Even if some manage to survive on both sides, by that time the Land of Fire will be _ruined_. The civilian population will _revolt_ against your atrocities and let me remind you they outnumber us **_500 to 1_**. I don't know about you but against those many numbers none of my ninjas will survive!" warned Daen seriously,

Tsunade was surprised when the man actually got the full attention of not just Hashirama or Madara but that of Tajima Uchiha as well. From what she could see Daen was not taking any side but only pointing out the outcome if the continued their war now that the Daimyo was not there to control the civilian population.

Seeing that his audience were paying rapt attention, Daen decided to intensify his efforts to make these fools see reason.

"Both Uchiha and Senju alongwith their allies have forgotten their _true purpose_ the Sage of Six Paths wanted you to do. **But the Nara remember!** " said Daen honestly,

He looked at the formal royal army commanders and when they all nodded their consent, Daen turned back towards the two factions who now looked very interested in what he had to say.

"The Sage taught us **Ninshu** so that we can _maintain peace_ across the elemental nations and _not_ wage war. The Nara have never allied with either side because you never serve the well being of the people. We chose to serve the Daimyo because he atleast _tried_ to give peace to all those who couldn't raise their voices against shinobi atrocities. The Daimyo maybe gone now, but the Nara clan and the former royal army commanders and soldiers are still duty bound to protect those people" explained Daen loudly for everyone to hear,

"Neither The Uchiha or the Senju clan heads or as a matter fact any other ninja clan have any right to claim leadership over people you have _never_ thought about in your entire lives. But there is _one_ person in this room who remembered the duty the Sage wanted us to do"

Tsunade's eyes widened when she saw not just Daen but all the former civilian army commanders rise from their seats and step before Naruto.

" _The One Who Cared_ about the lives of people he didn't even know. The one who chose to do the _right_ thing no matter how hard it was, the one who chose _mercy_ and _compassion_ over **_brutality_**. We don't care who he is or what his past was, we don't know what the future holds for us all but he's our leader from this day till the end of time. **THE DRAGON KING!** " declared Daen proudly,

Naruto's heart stopped beating and his face turned extremely pale when Daen and all the civilian army commanders unleashed their swords and knelt before him.

Shock rippled through the hall and everyone nearly started panicking but were fortunately stopped when Hashirama got up from his seat making everyone go silent gain.

"I never thought one day there could be a chance for _peace_ between our two factions. **Both** sides have done inhuman things to each other in the past, yet I took a chance upon Naruto Uchiha. I _trusted_ that man with not just my family's future but that of this country because I knew he was a _good_ and _honorable man_. I gave him the hand of my sister in marriage because I knew he has the _courage_ to do the right thing, _even if it meant giving his life_. That is the kind of man who should not just lead us but this country and world towards the future the Sage wanted us to develop. Naruto Uchiha brought an end to this war. He is _THE YOUNG DRAGON..._ "

Hashirama unleashed his sword pointing it straight at Naruto with pride and conviction in his eyes as he knelt declaring the words that would be forever remembered in history.

 **"THE DRAGON KING!"**

Tajima and Naori alongwith their allies were hardly able to believe the words Hashirama had just said about Naruto. Most of all none of them were ever prepared to watch the _first_ Senju in history to willingly kneel before an Uchiha and swear fealty to their rule. Tajima's jaw nearly dropped to the floor as he glanced at Hashirama and saw nothing but pure conviction in his eyes as he made his decision. Majority of the Senju allies were also shocked and moved by their leader's declaration.

The Uchiha patriarch glanced at his youngest son who was as pale as ice as he watched not just Hashirama but Daen Nara and all the civilian army commanders still kneeling before him with their swords. He had done the impossible...

A boy who was destined to be nothing more than a spare heir had made _two_ of the most ancient and noble clans who had _never_ knelt before the Uchiha's to do the impossible thing.

 _No, they are not kneeling to the Uchiha clan. They are kneeling to **him...**_

Tajima's lifelong dream was to see the Senju's kneel and accept the Uchiha as their rightful rulers. If they didn't then he would exterminate them to the last man, it would be costly and devastating but he had prepared for that his entire life making alliances and creating the single largest military faction.

Yet a boy who had no great social standing, armies, wealth or influence had accomplished a feat Tajima could only dream of.

Most of all he did it with his pure heart.

 _I am your son, Father. I am more like you than you think..._

 _You're no son of mine._

Naori watched as a lone tear fell from Tajima's eyes even as Madara got up with a determined look in his eyes. Both brothers glanced at each other, one with shock and the other with pride.

"Am I your brother?" asked Madara simply,

 _"Always"_ whispered Naruto in a choked voice,

Naori gave a tearful smile when Madara unleashed his sword and pointed it at his brother with a smile,

 **"My sword is yours, now and always"** promised Madara, as he too joined in kneeling beside Hashirama.

Kurama could hardly believe the dream of his creator could very well be realized today. It had taken a very long time and could yet again fail as he watched Tajima rise from his chair. The Uchiha leader looked fierce and cold as he looked at his son, but there was also warmth and regret in those cold eyes.

"I could never fully believe in you and I will _regret_ that until my last day. A father is supposed to _nurture_ their sons to become great men but _I failed_ in the task yet even so you became the man you are today because of your _own_ actions" said Tajima honestly,

Naruto got up from his chair and looked at his father. Tajima Uchiha was a proud man and to admit his mistake in front of all these people was not something to be taken lightly. Most of all he saw the regret and apology alongwith pride in those dark eyes, no matter their differences or what people thought of this man if there was one thing clear to Naruto was the fact that he _loved_ his Father.

"It's all in the past, Father" whispered Naruto with a smile, even as his eyes became moist.

Tajima nodded in relief as he got the message before he steeled himself and not just looked at his own bannermen but those of the Senju's as well. He cast one last glance at his sister who stared at him with tearful eyes as she gave him a proud nod.

 _I can never truly believe in any of these people. But I can believe in my sons..._

"The future is uncertain for us all. However, **The Uchiha Clan** shall devote itself to the well being of this country as we have for thousands of years" pledged Tajima fiercely,

Every person watched in pure shock as Tajima unleashed his sword before locking his eyes firmly with his youngest son.

 _"And I will stand behind my son"_

Silence reigned across the hall as the Uchiha clan head knelt side by side with Madara and Hashirama beside him. Kurama could only watch with an overjoyed heart as the three most powerful men in the world yelled in one voice...

 **"THE DRAGON KING!"**

Naruto could only watch in awe and shock as every ninja lord from both factions rose up and unleashed their swords. Together, they all knelt before him as one single call was declared for the first time in history of the elemental nations.

 ** _"THE DRAGON KING!"_**

 ** _"THE DRAGON KING!"_**

 ** _"THE DRAGON KING!"_**

The declarations were getting louder and more passionate with every passing second as every person in the room took a leap of faith. In their eyes there was hope for a better future and they were entrusting him with it. Suddenly, he felt overwhelmed by this new mantle but as he glanced at Tsunade she gave him a supportive smile. Most of all, he saw belief in her eyes for him.

A lone tear fell from his eyes as he saw Kurama smile before the beast also knelt and joined all the ninja lords proclaiming Naruto as his leader. The Biju's lifelong dream finally realized after thousands of years...

In a way, history had unknowingly corrected a wrong done thousands of years ago. Even though every ninja lord declared for Naruto, it didn't change the fact that he was _Indra's_ descendant. Through this declaration, the Dragons had achieved their lifelong dream of making the Senjus submit.

At the same time, the Senjus had managed to not only secure peace for themselves but also managed to make themselves vital to the success of this new regime through the marriage of Tsunade to the Dragon King. Through her, the sons of Ashura would always play a vital role in the ruling of the elemental nations even if they officially didn't have one of their own as the supreme leader.

Tsunade widely smiled as she watched all the ninja lords still proclaiming her future husband as their King. Not only did she feel happy for Naruto but for herself as well because the war was finally over and if things worked out then soon she would no longer be a Princess in name but an _Actual Queen_ herself.

She looked at Naruto and saw he was still trying to accept what was happening before his eyes. For one who had no claim to power, he was now perhaps the _most powerful_ leader in history after the Sage of Six Paths.

However, her smile faltered as she caught a pair of eyes that were full of resentment and bitterness. Even as all the ninja lords were making their declaration clear again and again, Tsunade didn't miss several bitter people flocking around that one person who was glaring at Naruto murderously. His lips said the words but the tone of his voice left little to imagination about his feelings towards his new leader...

 _"THE DRAGON KING!"_

* * *

 **Author's Notes: End of the third arc.**

 **Hope you guys liked it.**

 **With this, 50% of the story is complete. But there is still more to come and in my opinion the most interesting things are yet to be revealed.**

 **Many times people tell me that the Naruto's of my stories are not like their Cannon counterparts. Well, they aren't but I do try to take some of the best things from Kishi's Naruto while adding some new features of my own. I feel so happy watching this Naruto's journey from a man who lost everything and had nothing to become the person he is today.**

 **It was Madara who saw Naruto's true potential first, followed by Naori, the Kinsguard, the Uchiha and their allies, Hashirama and now Tajima alongwith the remaining ninja clans. That is not to say everything is over and everyone can ride off into a peaceful sunset. This is the** _Clan Wars Era_ **and not everyone is happy with this decision. There are many twists and turns left to be played out...**

 **So let me know what you guys think about this third arc and are you ready for the fourth one?**

 **Next Chapter: The Union**

 **Read and Review.**

 **PS: Next chapter will be up most probably by next month only!**


	22. The Union

**Thank you for the support. Hope you continue it.**

 **New month starts with a new arc just as promised.**

 **I'd also like to welcome Garret Hawke who has decided to be the BETA of this story.**

 **Chapter 22**

 **The Union**

* * *

On top of the tallest towers of the Royal Castle stood a young man in golden armor. There was a proud smile on his face which was as bright as the new crown on his head. Unlike the one's worn by the dozens of Daimyo before, this man's crown was circle in shape set with big square cut pale rubies. On his back where once rested a simple black cloak was now replaced with a stark white haori that had a roaring red dragon in the center.

A few weeks ago many people didn't know this man but now almost the entire world did.

 _He was Naruto Uchiha, First Dragon King, Ruler of the Land of Fire._

The said dragon descendant smiled widely when he saw the dragon banner of his clan finally being unfurled at the top of the Royal Castle. He looked down and saw thousands of Uchiha and their allies proudly watching the moment. Most of them were roaring, hundreds were crying and few were simply watching their dream be fulfilled before their eyes.

A dream for which millions of Uchiha had perished over thousands of years.

He looked at his five oldest friends currently standing around him with identical smiles on their faces. When they glanced back at him, he couldn't help but whisper...

"It's finally over..."

Most of the Kinsguard members knew it was far from that but at the moment looking at how happy their new King was, no one decided to point that out. Not even realistic Itachi.

Apart from the group of friends there was one other man present who was intensely staring at Naruto.

"Look at them. Uchihas and Senjus actually standing together side by side, it's still hard to believe" admitted Naruto,

"Do you know how to keep it that way, my king?" asked Daen Nara seriously, making Naruto look at him curiously.

"By being a better ruler than the one before me" confessed Naruto sincerely, earning a nod from the Nara leader.

"That is good, my king. But what makes a good leader?'' questioned Daen, and his eyes were not just fixed on Naruto but his friends as well.

"Someone who cares about the people..." suggested Shisui,

"A man who rules with iron strength..." suggested Takeshi,

"Someone who is fair and impartial?" offered Kagami, earning a consenting nod from Mikoto revealing she shared his thoughts.

Naruto listened to his friends and couldn't help but wonder that they all had presented valid points. However, it also made him worried for all those qualities were very rare to find in one person, much less in someone like him.

 _"A wise man"_

He blinked at Itachi's suggestion said in the Uchiha's ever calm voice which earned a firm approving nod from the Nara who saw the young Uchiha in a new light before turning towards Naruto.

"Your grandfather was a man who cared for the people enough to propose peace to the Senjus but in doing so he became blind to reality and his family was murdered for his mistake. Kento Senju and Tajima Uchiha ruled with an iron fist and while their people remained safe during their reign they became hated by many men, the same was the case with the former Daimyo who we overthrew. Hashirama Senju is a fair man but he lacks foresight and cannot judge the true worth of a person" explained Daen briefly and was pleased when he saw realization dawn on the young King's face.

The Nara leader approached towards the edge of the wall and was soon joined by Naruto as they both looked at thousands of former enemies staring up at them.

"You have all the right qualities and temperament to be the ruler this country needs, Naruto. But you must be wise in every decision you make and always take the opinion of other men but in the end make decisions that you think are best for your people. The war might be over but the grudges and hostilities between these two factions will take a long time to subside. Most of them will soon start asking you for more lands, more wealth, more resources for their loyalty. How will you deal with it?" asked Daen patiently,

Naruto went silent as he watched his people, only now did he realize the true enormity of the responsibility that now rested on his shoulders. He had so much power in his hands but had no clue as to how he could use it best.

Daen carefully watched the young king, he was a good person and a better leader than most who had come before him. However, he had a fatal flaw.

Naruto was the youngest child of his family, a spare heir. Unlike Madara, he had never learned how to lead a clan much less an entire nation. Winning battles was one thing, making sure dozens of ninja clans didn't tear each other apart at the first chance was a whole different matter. Naori Uchiha might have made him a little well aware about politics, but unlike Madara who learned from Tajima and knew the game better than most, Naruto had never received that privilege.

Still there was a hidden leader inside the boy, a fact he displayed by his next words.

"I need to make these bitter enemies see a common cause to fight for. Our nation is rich and powerful, but there are still pockets of royalists who still oppose my rule. Maybe I should start putting them down with the help of my bannermen?" asked Naruto seriously,

"Very good. Choose the ones who seem most tolerant and keep the most bitter ones far apart. For example, one of the Daimyo's cousins is raising an army to overthrow you in the eastern side. The threat is small unlike the Damiyo's uncle who has mustered close to 6000 mercenaries. How will you deal with them?" asked Daen seriously,

Naruto tapped his chin as he glanced at the various ninja clan members, unknown to him all his friends and Daen were keenly observing his every move.

"Sasuke Sarutobi is a good and brave leader. Have him muster a force of 8000 ninjas to put down the smaller enemy army. His forces should be made up of Namikaze, Yuhi, Sarutobi and Akimichi warriors. Make sure to keep the Shimura and Inuzuka far away from each other as well as the Sarutobi. As for the Daimyo's uncle, have Hashirama Senju muster up a force of 10,000 ninjas made up of Uchiha, Senju, Hatake and Yamanaka warriors. As for the Inuzuka and Shimura, have their warriors start scouting missions on different sides of our borders alongside the Aburame clan. With these many clans allied together we'll run out of resources in a few years and we have to expand now. I can unite these bitter sides behind that cause easily, Hashirama has also suggested that I build a ninja village where eventually these clans can learn to live together. Madara will use that village under his power as Hokage to control our military. But all of this shall happen only after the wedding" explained Naruto briefly,

When he looked back at his supporters he saw his friends were openly gaping at him while Daen was smiling at him proudly.

"What?'' asked Naruto hesitantly, had he made a mistake somewhere?

Daen could not help but admire the boy's intelligence. He might not be as cunning as his Father when it came to politics, but Naruto had the ability to understand people. From the Uchiha side, the Namikaze and Yuhi were the most tolerant clans who could work very well with the Sarutobi and Akimichi.

On the other hand, having the mighty Uchiha and Senju join together to defeat a powerful enemy was enough to give them a challenge. And if one thing those two clans liked was a worthy foe, they might just work together to put the Damiyo's uncle down.

At the same time, the Inuzuka and Shimura were one of the most dangerous and bitter clans. They were the ones most opposed to this peace, by sending them to the borders Naruto was allowing time for this peace to settle in.

The boy was also aware that a war of expansion would unite these clans. Their coalition was now the largest and most strongest faction in the world with most of the powerful clans united under one banner. The remaining elemental nations were divided between hundreds of smaller ninja clans and feudal lords who were constantly at war. The Senju and Uchiha factions would gain great wealth and resources if they decided to expand their kingdom.

Building a ninja village would take time but the plan Naruto had suggested would provide ample opportunities to these bitter sides to work together for their mutual benefit. It might just give birth to the first flames of unity...

Of course, the whole move could backfire but it was a risk which had to be taken.

Daen found himself being wrong in the few times of his life. Naruto Uchiha might just manage to bring peace...

"Those are very good ideas, my king. But I advise you to give these clans some reward for pledging themselves to your rule..." suggested Daen,

"What should I do?" asked Naruto seriously, Daen had been one of the Daimyo's most trusted advisers and knew how to run a country better than most clan heads.

"Start making appointments in your royal court. Give the most powerful clans important positions and new lands, the lesser ones wealth and a chance to earn fame under this new regime. I have a few suggestions if you would be willing to listen..." offered Daen,

"I'd like that very much" replied Naruto with a sincere smile,

"Then I'll wait for you in the courtroom. For now, I hope you enjoy with your friends..." said Daen kindly,

With that the scarred man walked away leaving Naruto and his friends alone. When the King turned back, he saw his friends staring at him with surprise evident in their eyes.

"That was quite heavy..." joked Takeshi, making everyone except Itachi laugh out.

"Don't take it lightly, _fool_. A king must never sit easy..." chastised Itachi,

"Calm down, Itachi. Everything will work out...just give it time" advised Kagami patiently,

"Yeah. Stop being a pain in the ass..." teased Takeshi,

Naruto could not help but smile on watching his friends bicker with each other. It reminded him of the fact that while many things had changed, he still had his friends. He was surprised when Mikoto asked the boys to leave him alone with her, they all glanced at her and Naruto suspiciously with Takeshi even sending a warning glance at his sister before they all left.

When they were finally alone, Naruto stared at his former lover hesitantly...

While they had ended their relationship peacefully, it still didn't make him feel less guilty. But he was relieved when she gave him a warm smile as she stepped beside him...

"I hope you are okay with all this..." said Mikoto honestly,

"It's crazy but needs to be done. But as long as I have my friends and family with me, I'll try to make this work" replied Naruto sincerely, making her smile again.

"I know you will..."

"Mikoto, I-"

"You are a good man, Naruto. And a great friend to have, but the distance between our status in society is too large now. Most of all every clan will be watching your every move and there are more than a few who would want to overthrow you. They might just use any means to do that..." warned Mikoto,

"Then we'll deal with it together" promised Naruto, but it only made her smile falter.

"I'm afraid you don't understand. I am your _past_ and most might not know about what we shared, but if I stay near you then some of them may just find out the truth and use it against you" cautioned Mikoto,

"But we _ended_ it!" said Naruto angrily, why was she saying such things to him? He couldn't lose her after so many years of having her by his side. Mikoto was a dear friend first before she became someone he dearly loved and he was not willing to be parted from her any further. Had he not done more than enough for the sake of duty and peace?

"I _cannot_ be near you, Naruto. I have seen the way Tsunade looks at me and I know she knows about our former relationship. She may trust you in time but not if she sees my shadow following you around everyday" explained Mikoto patiently, desperately trying not to feel guilty as she saw despair in those eyes she loved.

"What are you saying?'' whispered Naruto hesitantly,

"I am leaving the Kinsguard"

She felt as if someone had stabbed her right into her heart when his eyes became moist first before they were consumed by rage, hurt and betrayal. Her eyes widened when he wildly grabbed her shoulders and looked at her with such fury in his eyes...

" ** _You cannot leave me!_** _I don't care_ if I am King or if someone tries to use our past against me. You are my friend and anyone who tries to harm you... ** _I'll burn them all!_** " promised Naruto murderously,

She was stunned by his rage but it also brought tears to her eyes. He might have ended their relationship for the greater good, but the love he had for her was clearly visible in his enraged eyes. It only made her decision even more harder...

"You don't understand-"

 **"THEN MAKE ME UNDERSTAND!"** he yelled furiously right into her face,

She roughly pushed him away and turned around to run only to have a strong hand grip her arm. Before she could wrench free, he pulled her back and slammed her harshly against the nearby wall. Their faces were inches apart from each other and it was then she saw the pleading gaze of his. Mikoto broke as tears slipped from her eyes...

"I let you go for the sake of your duty. Now you have to let me go because I _cannot_ watch you be with someone else for the rest of our lives. I might just ** _kill_** Tsunade someday in rage..." said Mikoto darkly,

"I can't" he whispered, but she could see he was losing the battle.

"You have to. You chose your path... _now let me choose mine_ " she begged,

She saw his broken gaze and his trembling lips but most of all she saw his desperate attempt to not cry. She hated doing this to him but this peace was important for the future of the Uchiha and all the citizens of the Land of Fire, she could not stand to see it destroyed just because of her.

Most of all, she might very well kill the Senju Princess if she ever made Naruto feel sad in any manner.

None of this was fair and not what both of them had ever wanted. But then again, life was never about what you wanted atleast in this era...

 _"Then go..."_

The words were said in a brief whisper but she heard them nonetheless. Without waiting he turned around and walked away never looking back once but his angry strides and clenched fists alongwith his thunderous aura was enough to let her know he was devastated.

* * *

When the King entered the courtroom alongside Daen Nara most of the clan heads didn't miss his icy expression. The new ruler simply nodded to the greetings and short bows of his subjects before marching towards the throne. It was only when he was seated did the people relax and look at their ruler for an explanation because he had called for this meeting in the first place.

Tsunade knew in a few days she would have her own seat beside him but right now her focus was fixed on the fact that Naruto was dealing with something that was hurting him. Even so, his eyes were full of determination.

She could only imagine the pressure he must be feeling right now, having never expected to lead his own clan much less an entire nation. But he had started to accomplish this task as it was his duty, just in the way he had served the Uchiha's faithfully his entire life. Only now that duty was expanded to the entire Land of Fire.

"I have called you all here to formally acknowledge the support all of you have given for the future of this country. You have given me your loyalty and I want to make sure such faith is _rewarded_ appropriately" declared Naruto,

"There is no need for that, my king. We did it for the good of this nation..." replied Nakamura Akimichi calmly,

Naruto nodded while also searching the man for any deceit despite his good words. He knew there were some good and honorable men among this lot of clan heads, but there were more ambitious ones too. Most of all every one of them was a shinobi and their kind was known for treachery than honor.

" _I_ insist" said Naruto firmly,

He was not mistaken when he saw that his decision was very much welcomed. Outwardly, every clan head remained impassive with some even pretending that they didn't need these gifts. But their body language and their eyes betrayed their intentions. The King couldn't help but look at Daen as he realized the Nara had been right, maintaining peace between these dangerous leaders was going to be even more difficult than ruling over hundreds of thousands of civilians.

But if these ambitious leaders thought him weak and gullible, then they really didn't know him.

He gave them the first shock by creating the post of **Guardian** , a position that would make any ninja lord the most powerful man in the country after the King. In simple words, the person who held this post would hold the most influence and be the King's right hand. Many clan heads subconsciously stepped forward confident of them getting this honor but were all thoroughly shocked when Daen Nara, a former royalist of the Daimyo became the _First Guardian_ of the new Dragon Kingdom.

To say the ninja lords including Daen were shocked would be an understatement. Most had expected their king to name his father or even Hashirama but instead he gave this power to a former enemy. Daen was quick to accept before any protests could arise, not that there was a chance considering the presence of the Biju lazily sleeping in the corner of the courtroom. By now everyone was aware the beast was loyal to the King and any defiance would earn them its wrath.

Naruto went forward to formally declare Madara as **The First Hokage** and gave him leadership over the Kingdom's ninja forces. The offer was swiftly accepted...

The next announcement was regarding the position of the **Royal Treasurer** and not many were surprised when Hashirama Senju was named to the post. The Senju leader was a force on the battlefield and despite his peaceful nature it was because of his actions that the Senju had became wealthy through favorable trade deals. A skill Naruto wanted to put to use for the entire kingdom. Plus, it didn't hurt that the Senju faction looked very pleased with this decision.

The next announcements were also very important...

Sasuke Sarutobi was given command of the **Royal Naval Fleets**.

Tobi Shimura was tasked with the development of an **Elite Ninja Blackops Unit** loyal only to the King with the Shimura leader named its first commander. Many clan heads tensed for the Shimura were the most fiercest Uchiha allies and with this decision the King had made sure to keep himself and his rule safe. Not to mention the Shimura clan knew the art of spying and assassinations better than most clans, a fact which would greatly stop anyone from getting any dangerous ideas.

Tajima Uchiha received the honor of keeping **law** and **order** prevalent across the kingdom. The Uchiha patriarch was a stern man who was a stickler for rules and discipline, a fact which would greatly keep the civilians in check. The King's father accepted the position with a smile when he was given the authority to form an entire **Police force** to help him accomplish his duties.

Tori Yamanaka, the widow of the deceased Itama Yamanaka was made **Master of Intelligence.**

Rei Namikaze was given the responsibility of becoming not only the creator but also the leader of the **First Airborne** troops of the Kingdom by combining every shinobi having a bird summon placed under her command.

Nakamura Akimichi was given the prestigious position of being the **King's Representative** across Merchant guilds.

Hiro Inuzuka and Shin Aburame were both assigned the task of developing a new **Scouting Legion** made up of the best trackers from the Land of Fire. Both men would share joint command.

Sakumo Hatake was made **Protector** **of the Capital** and tasked with its security. A decision which was greatly appreciated by the minor ninja lord.

The remaining smaller clans like the Kurama, Yuhi among others were not only given more lands and wealth for their loyalty but also a chance to join the **Royal Guards** that would protect the Capital and be the King's personal force that would be the first to step into the battlefield alongside their monarch in every battle. It went to say the minor clans had not expected the chance to achieve this much fame and reward which lead to everyone of their leaders quickly jumping on the offer.

Naruto also made the formal announcement that a new village would be created near the Southern forests. While a name was yet to be decided by the King for this village, its purpose was clear. It would serve as the _central command_ of the ninja forces and be The Hokage's personal seat.

The King also announced his plans to crush the remaining Daimyo loyalists and revealed the battle strategy he had formulated with Daen Nara. He was pleased when the clans quickly accepted the strategy because despite their differences, no one wanted a civilian to rule again.

But the most shocking announcements were saved for the last.

The first being the royal marriage of King Naruto Uchiha with Princess Tsunade Senju that would take place in a week. Many were aghast to hear such an important affair had to be conducted at such a short notice, but Naruto was adamant that the marriage had to happen as quickly as possible because only when it was done could Naruto's most important goal be accomplished.

 _The War of Conquest._

Not a single clan head was not shocked when their King revealed his intention of ruling not only the Land of Fire but the **entirety** of the elemental nations. It was not to say they were against the move because they were shinobi and war was their profession. The King's desire would only give these ninja clans more power and resources while establishing the first dynasty after the fall of the Hagoromo clan to truly rule the elemental nations.

The words of King Naruto Uchiha would forever be remembered in history.

 _From this day forth, Dragons shall rule the world._

* * *

Tsunade gently brushed her long blonde hair while observing her reflection in the mirror. Nights were cooler in the Capital but she was used to such weather and could move around in her simple nightgown. Her mind pre-occupied with the events that happened today.

Just when she thought she knew Naruto Uchiha, he again surprised her with his brilliance.

But hurt her at the same time.

Even she could see he would be a great King, perhaps one of the best in history but he always walked alone and carried his burdens in silence. Already thousands worshiped him for giving them peace and in time even most of his former enemies would come to admire him. How could she ever match up to someone like that?

Was she destined to be his shadow? Was she just an obligation that he was tolerating in the name of duty?

Before she could wallow more in her sadness, the door of her room was opened much to her surprise. Her guards always informed her regarding any visitors and only when she gave permission were they let in. Most of all it was well past any visiting hours, It was almost close to midnight...

A frown came on her face as she glanced at the unwanted visitor.

"What are you doing here so late?" asked Tsunade hesitantly,

The Dragon King stared at her calmly ignoring her frown or borderline hostile tone. It was then she noticed the dark bags under his eyes and the tired gaze of his. He looked ready to fall dead any second...

"Kami, were you still working?" asked Tsunade in disbelief,

"Too many things to take care of. Assuring trade merchants their deals were not off and making new ones, checking the treasury, reports on enemy movements, discussions with clan heads among other things" he explained in his ever calm voice,

"You didn't have to exhaust yourself like this. A King does not have to do everything in one day..." advised Tsunade, as she got up from her dressing table and walked towards him.

She didn't miss him getting stunned as he got a good look at her loose nightgown which only served to make her voluptuous breasts more visible. He looked away instantly and was there guilt she saw in his eyes?

Something was troubling him and for once she decided to not let her sarcasm fly at him.

He was surprised when she placed a hand on his shoulder and looked compassionately in his eyes.

"What is it?'' she asked gently,

"I am sorry"

She had expected to hear many things from him but an apology was not on the list. Looking into his eyes she saw he truly meant it but what for?

He answered her unasked question with his next words...

"I promised you that I would treat you as my equal, as my queen, but in my haste or my anger should I say I forgot to take your opinion on the matter of the appointments I made today. I saw it hurt you but by then it was too late and we were in public. It will never happen again" he promised

Tsunade had never been left so speechless as she was at this moment.

"You noticed?" she whispered, her wide eyes searching his darker ones for any lies. There were none.

"I did. I take my promises seriously, Tsunade. I will never set you aside like that again..." he assured her,

The smile that arrived on her face was one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen. Her skin glowed brighter than the moon's light showing how happy she was, her eyes sparkled with relief and warmth. He was so lost in watching her beauty that he was not prepared when she abruptly closed the distance between them and hugged him.

He lost his footing and soon they were both tumbling gracelessly to the floor.

Fortunately, he was still wearing his golden armor which easily observed the shock as his hands grabbed her protectively so she didn't get more hurt. His head hit the ground and he winced from the impact alongwith the sudden weight of her that crashed into his armored chest.

Her long and shiny blonde hair went flying all over him and for a moment he thought the morning sun had arrived again. But it was over before he could blink as she realized what just happened and continuously started apologizing over and over.

She was forced to stop when instead of rebuking her he started laughing. Softly at first before it turned into a full blown laughter.

Tsunade was mesmerized as she watched the tension vanish from his handsome face as he laughed making him look even more younger than he truly was. Her own laughter joined alongwith his as she realized how dumb her action must have truly been. Thankfully, he was taking this far more graciously than she expected.

"You're beautiful"

Her breath hitched. It was not the first time she had heard those words but no matter how many times he said them it always made her feel happy. What made her heart skip several beats was the fact that aside from the lust there was true warmth in his eyes.

 _Gods, this man would drive her crazy!_

She had never met a man so complicated in her entire life but there was something about him that attracted her to him.

"You're not so bad looking yourself. For an Uchiha..." teased Tsunade without any true bitterness in her voice.

He took her sarcasm with a wide smile as she got up on her feet and for a moment she felt she saw him sigh disappointedly. But that might just be her imagination...

She decided to test his commitment he made moments ago by offering her hand to him. Most men would balk at such a gesture of help considering it was against their male pride taking help from a woman when they were more than capable enough of helping themselves.

He made her smile again as he grinned before taking her offered hand as she hauled him back on his feet in a flash.

He blinked at her sheer strength, he had of course heard tales of her brutal strength from the soldiers who participated in the battle for the Capital. But she was so beautiful that made it hard for him to imagine her having that much power just in her arms.

"Are you made of steel?" he mocked teasingly, earning a cocky grin from her.

"I can be your knight in shining armor. And admit it, I'm more attractive than your bodyguard friends" she winked,

"Cocky, are we?" he asked with an amused grin, and chuckled when she shrugged shamelessly.

"I learnt from the best"

Naruto stared at his soon to be wife. She was his complete opposite yet alike in many ways and he would be a fool if he denied he had ever seen any woman more beautiful than her. He had spent his entire day buried in work not because it was just his duty but also for the fact that it kept his mind off the fact that Mikoto was going away from him forever.

It pained him immensely but he had to respect her choice just as she respected his choice to do his duty.

He could not change the past but if he allowed himself to wallow in misery over what was lost then he might just miss what could be his in the future. He had not missed the fact that she was attracted to him as he was to her even if they had both not admitted it outloud. Maybe he didn't love her right now but that shouldn't stop him from letting her be his friend. He owed her a chance...

"Thank you..." he whispered honestly, as he gently patted her soft hands expressing his gratitude for her understanding.

"I just hope one day you can share everything with me. Just as I wish to do the same with you..." she replied sincerely,

Guilt coursed through his heart for there was one big secret he had kept from her. One that could threaten whatever bond that was developing between them, he wanted to tell her but something stopped him.

 _Not yet._

"I need your opinion on an important matter..." he said seriously, trying to distance his mind away from his building guilt.

"What is it?" she asked attentively, looking into his eyes.

"The Daimyo's sons are dead and his relatives would soon be crushed. But we still hold the Lord, his wife and daughters prisoner. Many are demanding I execute them all to stem any threat of future rebellions, I'm inclined to agree in the Daimyo's case. But..." he said hesitantly, not able to finish the words but he didn't need to.

"You don't want to kill innocent women if you can help it" she deduced with a warm smile, glad that he was not as heartless as those who were advising him.

"I can't think of a proper solution that doesn't involve executing them..." he said worriedly, and was relieved when she squeezed his hands reassuringly.

"Give me till tomorrow morning to think about this?" she inquired,

"Very well" he conceded,

He glanced at the diminishing candles in her room that reminded him it was very late and time for him to go. He was just about to turn away when he stopped. Hesitation coursed through his heart but in a rare display of courage or foolishness he went forward to close the distance between them.

Tsunade froze when his soft lips brushed her cheek but before she could relish that strange warmth he had already pulled away leaving her trembling from that simple touch.

"Good night" he said with a warm smile,

She couldn't wish him the same for no words escaped from her lips. He must have understood her feelings as he gave her one last smile before walking away.

Only when he was gone did she raise her hand with her fingers brushing against the lingering faint moistness on her cheek.

Soon she went to sleep with a happy smile on her face.

* * *

In a dark room were currently seated four figures around a round table. Three of them were men and one was a women but if they had one thing in common was the fact that none of them were smiling. In fact their faces were full of worry and anger.

"This is **stupid!** How long do we have to pretend to _bow_ to that **_boy-king?_** " snarled one of the men, out of the entire group he looked to be the most angry.

"That boy is not worthy to be King. Have they all forgotten he's a _Kinslayer_? Or the fact that he _butchered_ an entire clan? _Burned_ men alive?" asked the lone female icily,

"I can muster a force of 4000 but without help we'll be slaughtered. What is the situation with the remaining clans?" asked the last man worriedly,

The three turned towards the only person who had remained silent till now. Unlike them this man had not said a word much less even show his true emotions. He just sat there calmly listening to the arguments happening around him...

"Not good. It would seem they like Lord Hashirama are _blind_ enough to have faith in an Uchiha..." said the patient man,

"You have to admit, he did give everyone pretty good rewards for their loyalty. I'm not surprised most of the clan heads can't see that we cannot allow those _mad dragons_ to rule over us. This boy might be sane but who's the say his descendants would be the same?" asked the worried man,

"Even many of my own people are actually _liking_ this change. If we don't act soon, then we might lose what little loyalists we still have left" snarled the angry man,

The three were all silenced when the patient man gave them a chilling stare.

" _Patience_. We need to destroy the remnants of the Daimyo's forces, an Uchiha will **_never_** rule over us but that does not mean I want to submit to civilian control again. Certainly not after what the Daimyo did..." said the patient man coldly,

For once his comrades had no objection to his suggestion which was a big relief for him.

"While we do that, you all must also try to gather as many of your loyalists. I've also been contacted by certain external parties who are very interested in making sure those mad dragons never rule" revealed the patient man,

"Who?" asked the lone woman eagerly,

The blank stare of the patient man was enough to make her flinch and not ask that stupid question again.

"How much support can they give us?" asked the angry man, despite the prior warning the lone woman had received from their leader for asking too many dangerous questions. But in this instance, the patient man answered...

 _"Enough to wipe out every last Uchiha from the face of this world"_

All three of the conspirators were stunned to hear that. They all might hate the Uchiha but even they were not blind to their enemy's power. Even without their sharingan, the Uchiha were a force on the battlefield and only the Senju could handle them. Considering the Senju under Hashirama had submitted there was no equal to the dragons in battle now, much less deal with the likes of Madara and Naruto, nobody even dared to even think about that monstrous Biju that was loyal to the King.

But their leader was dead serious which could only mean he had a lot of allies backing him. Foreign allies who were very interested in the downfall of the Uchiha.

The patient man got up from his chair and walked towards the window observing some of the Uchiha guards now manning the Royal Castle.

"The Uchiha's _madness_ and _arrogance_ know no bounds. If we allow them to rule then our future generations will curse us for this **folly**. _But wait for my command, when the time is right..._ " whispered the patient man,

His comrades nodded at his orders and went away even as the lone man continued staring at the Uchiha.

* * *

Away from the rebellion happening in the South lay the vast Northern lands of the elemental nations. Unlike the Land of Fire which was awash with wealth and prosperity, these lands were rough and hard to live in. The tribes and ninja clans living here were more rougher and dangerous than their southern counterparts. Still, the people of these lands lived simple lives and followed their respective clan leaders. There was minimal politics or back stabbing than what usually happened in the South, not because the ninja here were honorable but for the sole fact that they were separated by vast arrays of treacherous forests, high mountains and dangerous seas.

One such clan resided in the North Eastern side of the elemental nations. Unlike other lesser clans, this group were the branch family of the Senju's and indirectly related to the Sage of Six Paths.

Being the farthest outpost of humanity, the Uzumaki enjoyed total independence from any Daimyo or ninja factions. They had prospered because of their sealing skills and ability to make as well as trade invaluable weapons and goods. Their lands were free of war not because others spared them, but for the sole fact that they had blocked every sea route from the Southern lands to their little kingdom with powerful barriers. Nobody could reach Uzushiogakure, the home of the Uzumaki if the redheads didn't want them to. One could only reach the Uzumaki nation through sea and that too by ship because the Uzumaki had the protection of fierce whirlpools near their islands that had been the cause of destruction of many a great ninja armies.

But such benefits came with their respective drawbacks. The most important being the fact that the Uzumaki were literally isolated from the rest of the elemental nations. The only lands ahead of them was the ruined and haunted Land of Water, where the War for Dawn had been fought and was now a wasteland where humanity had not existed for thousands of years.

However, unlike the Senjus their cousins were not known for patience but for their temper and wildness.

Over the thousands of years that passed, the Uzumaki tried to expand in all directions. Their efforts failed for the most part, their first military expansion in the Land of Lightning was utterly defeated by the mountain clans who knew the lands better than them. Their campaign to gain a foothold in the Land of Fire was defeated by the Daimyo's endless hordes.

With such defeats, The Uzumaki turned their eyes east.

Even the Uchiha and Senju who were renowned for their power had never once dared to step foot in the Land of Water. Both noble clans and their allies considered those lands as haunted and touched by the devil himself, but the Uzumaki in their desperation or wild sense of adventure decided to claim an entire continent for themselves.

Alas, they were in for another disappointment.

Over the centuries, hundreds of expeditions full of brave and adventurous Uzumaki had set sail from their island nation to the Land of Water.

 _No man ever returned._

Instead of making the Uzumaki back down, it only fueled their desire to conquer the dreaded land. A monstrous expedition of 200 ships full of 3000 fighters was mustered under the command of Lord Shinzo Uzumaki. The young lord sailed his vast fleet with the sole aim of getting an entire new continent for his people to rule. If only he had taken a lesson from the fate of his ancestors...

The fleet was met with wild storms that were unnatural which led to destruction of a quarter of the ships in a single night. Still the survivors pushed on and finally managed to reach the Land of Water. A feat no human had achieved in a thousand years...

Confident that the worst was over, Lord Shinzo Uzumaki ordered his remaining people to spread across the lands and start their occupation. His decision proved to be disastrous as one after another he started losing contacts with his clansmen spread across several groups.

The few survivors who managed to reach their lord revealed horrible tales of ghosts, shadows, dangerous beasts butchering them. Yet the Uzumaki lord was not to be cowered...

Rallying all his remaining fighters, the young lord marched right into the heart of the area marked most hostile by the survivors. What followed after was a tale every Uzumaki would know centuries after...

Except for the younger brother of Lord Shinzo and his five bodyguards, the remaining Uzumaki vanished from the annals of history. The survivors fled from those lands with all haste in order to reach their homeland. Three of the bodyguards died of starvation, one was drowned in the sea when another storm hit their small boat, and the last one went mad and slit his own throat.

By the time the younger brother of Lord Shinzo arrived at his homeland, he had lost most of his senses. His trauma and lack of food and water had turned him into a lackwit who continued to babble about horrible tales his people experienced in the Land of Water until the day he died.

After that, the Uzumaki developed an irrational fear of venturing outside their lands and forbid anyone from getting even a hundred miles near the Land of Water.

If only they had known that their worst nightmare would one day come back to haunt them again...

It were these exacts thoughts of their clan's history that were coursing through the minds of the three Uzumaki men and one woman alongwith their fear. They were running as fast as they could hoping to _Kami_ that they were on the right track as the moon was currently hidden behind dark clouds leaving the lands in gloomy darkness.

Every now and then, one of the Uzumaki would sneak a peak back and sigh in relief when they saw nothing. But it didn't stop them from fleeing...

"Did we lose them?" asked the female with the barest hope present in her voice,

"I hope so. We need to tell Mito-sama about this, if those bastards have already reached our outpost then it means the outer defenses have fallen" said one of the men,

"My brother was there" whispered the female, making the men grimace.

"I heard a rumor..." said one of the men in a desperate attempt to get the minds of his comrades off the gloomy topic if only to encourage them to run faster.

"What?" asked all his clansmen quickly,

"Mito-sama received word a few days ago that the Fire Daimyo was overthrown. _An Uchiha_ now rules over the Land of Fire, the war between the Uchiha and Senjus is over. Some _Dragon King_ is their leader now..." revealed the man with a mocking laugh,

"Fuck me, Kirito. Those mad bastards actually _stopped_ their war?" asked the female in disbelief,

"They did, Niki. Apparently the new King managed to make those idiots see reason. He now has command over 50,000 soldiers with half of them ninjas" said Kirito in awe,

" **Fuck those fools**. What do we care who becomes King? The Daimyo was our ally and they got rid of him. I highly doubt an Uchiha would come to over aid, certainly not after our people gave his clan _the finger_ since the beginning of time" muttered Kota bitterly,

"Well I hope the new King's not a _bitter fuck_ as you, Kota. Or we are all doomed-"

Before any Uzumaki could reply they were all shocked when their one comrade who was silent till now stopped abruptly. There was a momentary panic in his eyes before he coughed blood and fell lifelessly on the ground with a strange spear shaped white weapon sticking out his back.

The remaining Uzumaki paled when they saw literally hundreds of figures emerging from the ground around them. The new arrivals were quick to make themselves stand up before looking at the Uzumaki fighters with blank dark eyes. What shocked the Uzumaki ninjas was the fact that a lot of these new hostiles had very familiar red hair...

Leading this army was a strange figure which sent a chill across the hearts of the Uzumaki.

What terrified them most were the figure's pale white eyes...

"Niki, get word to Mito-sama _now!_ " ordered Kirito, as he unleashed his sword.

The Uzumaki kunoichi could only watch helplessly as her last two comrades unleashed their swords and formed a barrier between themselves and the army of hundreds.

"Kirito...Kota..." she whispered, but neither of the men looked back at her and only grimly stared at the approaching army.

Niki steeled herself and ran as if the devil himself was after her and the last thing she heard before the silence were the words of their clan roared by the two Uzumaki men as they clashed against the enemy army.

 _"FAMILY! DUTY! HONOR!"_


	23. The White Wedding

**Thank you for the support. Hope you continue it.**

 **Music Theme for this chapter: Naruto and Tsunade's theme (Paulo Bounvino & Skin - Renaissance, Music from Medici Masters of Florence Tv series). You can find it on Youtube.**

 **This chapter has some mature content, so read at your own discretion.**

 **I'd also like to thank Stana who provided a lot of helpful insight for writing this chapter.**

 **Chapter 23**

 **The White Wedding**

* * *

Tajima and Naori peacefully ate their breakfast while watching the two young men before them nursing their heads quite painfully. It was quite hard for the two older Uchiha to see these two as men for in their eyes they were still young boys whom they had watched grow over the years.

Today was going to be a historic day for their family and they needed the boys at their best behavior, but for now both brother and sister couldn't help but enjoy Naruto and Madara's suffering.

"How much did you two idiots drink?" asked Tajima amusedly, and watched Naruto glare at Madara.

"More than I'd like..." muttered the new King sourly, earning a snort from Madara.

"I organized a party for you because after today you're going to be bound to _that_ woman. I don't regret making you have the best time of your life..." replied Madara without remorse, even as he groaned from his hangover.

"She's not that bad, brother. Maybe you should give her a chance..." urged Naruto tiredly,

 _"Hn"_

Naori could not help but smile at the fact that Naruto atleast respected his future wife if not love her outright. But at the same time, he also knew Madara was still sour with the Senjus and it was best if he was not pushed any further. He had already sacrificed his revenge for Naruto which was more than Naruto could ever ask from the older boy.

But she also didn't miss the fact that her favorite nephew aside from his painful hangover looked quite nervous. And she had a feeling why. Just when she was about to speak, her brother cut her off...

"Am I to believe that you do know what happens on wedding night, Naruto?"

Madara spewed the lemon juice he was drinking all over the table before bursting out loud laughing while his younger brother blushed crimson and grabbed his forehead in agony and humiliation.

" _Naruto!_ " snapped Tajima, and smirked when his son raised a patronizing hand.

"I am aware of the procedure" muttered Naruto,

"I'd say" teased Madara, earning a sharp glance from Naruto but was relieved when Madara gave him a reassuring nod.

"Good. I cannot afford for you to shame the Uchiha name in the marriage bed and now is your chance to clear away any doubts. Theory is quite different than the real thing, boy" advised Tajima seriously,

"You would know, wouldn't you, Father?" grinned Madara,

It was one of the rare times Tajima was left speechless and gaped at what Madara just said. Naori chuckled loudly at her brother's stupefied expression before giving an approving grin to Madara who returned the gesture.

" _Not so loud!_ " muttered Naruto painfully,

"Oh shut up, you baby!" chastised Madara, before playfully smacking Naruto on the head making the younger boy groan in even more pain.

Madara's moment of victory didn't last long when he noticed his father gaining a cold smirk on his lips. He knew better than most what that gesture meant...

"Madara, since you're so _cheery_ today I'd like you to oversee the _final decorations_ of the royal castle. Co-ordinate with the Yamanaka and make sure all the _flowers_ are in place..."

Naori howled in laughter when Madara cried out in horror and even pleaded with his Father to make him not do that dreadful work. Unfortunately for **The Wild Dragon** , his brother had similar thoughts...

" _The King insists_ " said Naruto with a savage grin,

"Fuck you!" cursed Madara,

"Care to repeat that again?" asked Tajima a little too calmly, making Madara gulp and lower his head in defeat.

Naruto could not help but smile as he watched his family sit together and enjoy for the first time in years. Such a phenomenon would never have happened if the war had gone on. But most of all, he knew these three had given up a lot for him.

"I am glad you are all here today" said Naruto honestly with a smile,

"Wouldn't be good if I miss your wedding with the _Senju_..." mocked Madara, but the smile on his lips was enough to show Naruto that despite his reservations about this union, Madara would have his back just as he always had.

The King got up from his seat and approached the eldest members of their family. Despite his painful headache, he knelt before them and took each of their hands in his own. He could only imagine what kind of tragedies these two had borne together, the death of Naruto's own brothers haunted him to this day.

But these two had watched so many of their siblings be torn apart in ways worse than Naruto's brothers ever had. They watched their parents die painful and miserable deaths, their people almost fall apart...

Yet both Tajima and Naori despite their pain and hatred had given up everything for him.

Words would never suffice how indebted he was to these two but he felt he had to do this regardless.

"Thank you..." said Naruto sincerely,

Naori cupped his cheek and placed a warm kiss on his forehead before looking into his eyes.

"I wish you all the happiness in the world, Naruto. I hope you find the peace you deserve with Tsunade..." said Naori happily,

Tajima merely placed his other hand on Naruto's shoulder and looked at his son with a firm but proud gaze.

"Uchiha are loyal to their own. The Uzumaki are not the only ones who value _family_ above all else" answered Tajima frankly,

"I understand" replied Naruto with a smile, earning a nod from Tajima as the older man adopted a distant gaze in his eyes.

"I just wish your brothers could be here today..." whispered Tajima sadly,

Both Naruto and Madara were shocked on hearing what their father just said. Never once had Tajima talked about his dead sons to anyone much less his own family except for Naori. However, the unending sorrow that the man had kept at bay for years was finally visible for his sons to see.

Tajima gave a weak smile and Naruto was stunned to see his father's eyes were moist. Before he could say anything, Tajima got up from his chair and hurriedly walked out of the room. Naori was about to follow her brother but Madara gave her a reassuring nod before running after his Father.

Her gaze then turned to Naruto and the emotion in his eyes was clear for her to see.

 _Guilt._

"Does this pain ever go away?" whispered Naruto, looking at this woman who could understand his suffering better than most people ever could.

"No" answered Naori gently but honestly,

"I often dream of them. Of what they would think of me now. Izuna had always loved me, Yashiro and Inabi were distant" confessed Naruto sadly,

"They were boys, Naruto. They didn't understand..." consoled Naori, as she caressed his hair making him chuckle humorlessly.

"They were mean to me most of the time. I'd call them _Twin Demons_ , but those same brothers nearly pummeled other boys to death when few of them tried to take my baby dragon toy from me. I asked them if I'd ever see a true dragon in my life, they laughed at me and said dragons don't exist anymore. When I started crying, Yashiro bonked me on the head and smirked before pointing at himself and calling himself a _Dragon_. Inabi did the same...they had such stupid grins on their faces which made me laugh. They were angry and sad because Mother died giving birth to me... _but they did love me_ , Naori. I know that now...I swear, I'll go to my grave thinking about the stupid grins on their faces and their god awful howls as they tried to imitate a dragon's roar" whispered Naruto with a wistful smile,

She embraced him in her arms and felt him shudder for a few moments before he managed to regain control over himself. Naori knew better than most what pain their family had endured and yet Naruto had found it in his heart to forgive the Senjus. It could be said both Uchiha and Senju had murdered each other in equal measures, but to her their family was not just murdered but _butchered_ in very cruel ways. The faces of her own lost siblings flashed before her eyes followed by the faces of the various clan heads that now infested Naruto's court. Those men and women had also their own pains and grievances, all it would take to shatter this peace was Naruto's death. If such a horror happened, Madara and Tajima would wage war and kill every last one of those traitors before getting killed themselves.

Naruto had a good heart but Tajima and Madara were both going away. Madara was going to focus on the upcoming war against the other nations while also building the ninja village, Tajima on the other hand would be focused on maintaining peace in their own nation while also governing the Uchiha Clan.

That left Naruto alone in the midst of these former enemies, none of them would dare attack him openly or risk being butchered by the fox but ninjas had other subtle ways of making their enemies go away.

She looked at this boy who was her son in all but name and the thought of seeing his cold corpse would break her completely. Her decision was made...

"I'm staying here with you" said Naori fiercely, making him look up at her.

"The clan-"

"Can survive under Tajima. I'm _not_ leaving you alone here in the midst of these snakes" said Naori seriously, her tone leaving no scope for opposition but it only made Naruto smile.

"I can live with that" said Naruto cheekily, making her smirk.

"You better"

* * *

Naruto and Madara both observed the finely decorated Capital before them. There were still traces of the battle that was fought here not so long ago but with the help of the ninja clans, much of the damage had been repaired. The residents of the Capital were initially hostile to the new regime until Naruto despite the warnings of his advisers marched out and interacted personally with the people, a phenomenon that had not happened in nearly a century with the previous Daimyo's considering it _beneath_ them to personally visit their subjects.

Madara had watched his youngest brother patiently listen to the people and their grievances. He immediately punished the few former royal guards still alive who had terrorized the civilians, imprisoned the corrupt officials, with winter coming the citizens requested more food, work and coin for their families.

A demand which the King promised to fulfill with his first act giving a considerable sum of the crownlands for civilians to grow farms upon, build houses and claim some lands for themselves. The kindness didn't go unnoticed and now the tales of _Naruto The Good_ were spreading like a raging fire throughout the Land of Fire.

To add further to the joy of the civilians, their King had organized a grand festival for them on the occasion of his marriage. Tonight, these poor and impoverished families would eat a feast they could have never imagined in their wildest dreams, they would get to share some good wine and be happy with their friends and loved ones.

At first, Madara thought his brother to be to more than lenient with people whom ninjas could pacify very easily. But as each day passed, he watched his brother's popularity grow to the point that now if anyone tried to take this city from Naruto, they would have to go through thousands of civilians loyal to their King.

But right now the same King looked nervous...

"What is it?" inquired Madara with a raised eyebrow,

"I don't know if I can be the husband Tsunade wants me to be" confessed Naruto, making his brother snort in disbelief.

"Trust me. If the Senju cannot see your worth then she's _stupid_. You're more than what she deserves..." assured Madara confidently,

"I don't know, brother. If she ever finds out about my unborn daughters..." whispered Naruto, his fear over that possibility clear for Madara to see.

"We'll deal with it when we get there. But if it gives you peace, I've already assigned 100 of my best men near the temple. If anyone tries to harm my nieces, they'll have to go through those 100 Uchiha first and I won't be far away. I _won't_ let anything happen to them, Naruto" promised Madara fiercely, earning a smile from the King.

"Thank you, truly. But I need another favor..." said Naruto hesitantly,

"Careful, brother. You owe me quite a _lot_ already..." japed Madara, earning a nod from his youngest brother.

"I know. And whenever you need me, I _will_ be there for you" promised Naruto sincerely,

"I'll hold you to it" replied Madara seriously, before continuing with a smile...

"Good. Now tell me what you need..."

Madara listened as Naruto explained to him of the fact that Mikoto was leaving the Kinsguard. He didn't have to be a genius to see his brother had great affection for the woman and was now worried about her future. When Naruto told him about her fighting skills, Madara was quite impressed. But he soon frowned when Naruto told him about her origin of being a servant's daughter and how many would try to take advantage of her now that she was not under his protection.

"I'm thinking of forming a small elite force loyal to me. Considering her experience and recommendation, I'll see her worth and if she proves herself then she can command men sworn to defend me, _not that I need it_ " said Madara honestly with a wink,

"I owe you one" said Naruto happily, earning a light bop on the head.

 _"More than one...''_

Naruto wryly smiled at that statement knowing it was true. Still another concern crossed his mind and only his brother had the answer to that problem.

"Is Father okay?" asked Naruto worriedly, earning a grim nod from Madara.

"The old's man more tougher than the both of us combined. He'll be fine..." assured Madara, and didn't miss his brother sighing in relief.

Without hesitation, he placed a hand on the nervous boy's shoulder.

"This is your day, Naruto. And your family will be there for you, so cheer up and enjoy" encouraged Madara,

Naruto could not help but smile.

* * *

Winter was coming along very fast and as a result the royal gardens that would be the place of the historic marriage were now sporting a few layers of snow here and there. Naruto wagered that it would turn to muddy slush by the end of the day, and he had instructed a group of servants to clear a path through the courtyard to the Gardens. He was walking along that cleared path now, pleased to see that they had done a good job. It was not himself he was concerned with, it was Tsunade. He knew how much importance she gave to her appearance which had greatly increased now that she was to be _Queen_ , and he imagined she would be upset if the bottom of her wedding dress was soaked through and stained with mud and snow by the time she reached the Gardens. Though he thought it likely that she would inevitably damage the bottom of it, he was hopeful that it would not be as bad now that she had a clear walkway.

It would not be long. Soon she would be making her own way to the Gardens. The thought of it had his hands coming to rearrange his clothes nervously. He declined the urge to look back at Madara, who was walking behind him carrying the cloak bearing the roaring red colored _three headed dragon_ on a background of black silk, the new sigil of his future family that elevated them above the Uchiha clan. Many of his bannermen had made the effort to join the wedding. He had been expecting many to decline, and he was not offended when a few like the Shimura, Inuzuka and Yamanaka declined and it was for the best considering this peace was still hard for those clans to accept , he only hoped that Tsunade would not be offended.

Besides every ninja lord would all have to meet her at the first gathering of the Royal council tomorrow after the wedding where he would formally announce _The War of Conquest_ , and Naruto was confident that Tsunade would be able to make a good impression then. He had been unable to help liking her as days passed and started to enjoy her company. She was not a Senju to him in anything but looks, and that he was more than happy to live with. He did wish they did not have to get up and leave in the morning after their wedding though to start a war and crush the remaining Daimyo loyalists. Once upon a time he imagined he would relish any chance he had to be away from her. Not now though. Now he looked forward to spending time with her and enjoying her company. Their strolls around the gardens had slowly become his favorite part of the day. He smiled wryly, knowing that when the snows fell thicker they would no longer be able to participate in that particular pastime.

They had learned a lot about each other in the past week. Tsunade had taken upon herself to participate vigorously in the wedding preparations while he sorted out the royal court. In that time, he got to know she liked gambling, drinking, dancing, riding horses as well as Katsuyu and sparing. She was no delicate flower and was a warrior through and through, a fact which he respected and admired. But there was also compassion in her heart which she brilliantly showed when she recommended him to offer the Daimyo's prisoner daughters and wife to either join The Nadeshia Clan as priestesses for the rest of their life or choose to marry any minor ninja lord of Naruto's choosing. Unsurprisingly, the entire family chose the option to live free than be saddled with men who overthrew their husband/father. When that was done, Naruto swiftly executed the Daimyo. Tsunade had been there and was surprised when Naruto carried out the sentence himself, unlike her brothers who always executed traitors and criminals with the help of special jailers.

At the same time, Tsunade also pleasantly discovered that unlike most rumors that claimed Naruto to be a savage monster, he actually enjoyed reading stories on occasion and listen to bards. He was a pretty decent player of the flute and had made her cry with one of his songs. He also enjoyed spending time with his subjects and often made it a habit to visit them everyday to interact with them personally. For the ninja lords he was _The Dragon King_ , but for the common folk he was _Naruto The Good_. He also liked eating new foods but was terrible at drinking, a fact for which she teased him endlessly much to his embarrassment.

Naruto tore his mind from those thoughts as he finally entered the Gardens, noting that all those attending were already present, besides Tsunade and her brothers of course. He strode towards the holy tree to take his place, seeing his family lined up nearby as he came to a halt. His heart panged dully for those he was missing. Three of his brothers who should be here were not there and words couldn't describe how badly he wished Izuna was here on this important day, his only solace was the fact that he had Madara right by his side giving him a reassuring smile which made his sadness vanish.

He was glad to see his childhood friends were all there except for Mikoto, but he understood why she chose to skip this event. Unlike the ninja clan heads who chose not to come to this event due to old grudges and wounded pride, Mikoto had a valid reason to avoid watching him be promised to another woman for the rest of his life.

Naruto scanned his family again, noting for the first time that his Father was not clad in black. It was the first time he had seen him in anything that resembled color in so many years, and he was touched that he had managed it for his wedding. Even in his simple but elegant blue colored shirt with the Uchiha crest on his back alongwith simple black pants and sandals, Tajima Uchiha cut a striking figure. Unlike the Senjus, the Uchiha's were never one for extravagance and Tajima was the living definition of that philosophy.

Naori on the other hand had decided to skip that tradition and Naruto could not help but notice how stunning she looked, a fact which was clear to see as many ninja lords despite being married were silently staring at her form. Naori was wearing a blue dress, albeit a rather dark shade of blue, beneath a grey cloak. He sent her a small smile and she returned it, inclining her head slightly.

Before he could finishing looking at the other guests, he heard stunned gasps and was forced to turn towards the source that evoked such a reaction. He froze...

Blasting the tradition of choosing one family member as escort, Tsunade had chosen to have all _three_ of her brothers walk by her side as she entered the Royal Gardens.

Her dress was as white as the untouched snow around the pool of the Gardens. Even from a distance he could see that the bodice was sewn with pearls and silver and golden thread. Pearls were woven into her hair as well, which was half braided back from her face to allow her golden curls to tumble down her back. Around her shoulders was a black cloak made of fine velvet, and Naruto imagined that the roaring _Antler_ of The Senju would be woven into the back of it. He swallowed hard as she and her brothers came to a halt on the opposite side of the pool to him. Everyone in the Gardens seemed to have turned to stare at her, and he vaguely wondered if she looked as enchanting to them as she did to him. He had always known she was beautiful, it seemed only now he was appreciating just how captivating she really was. He took a deep breath, knowing that this was it. He could not allow the silence to continue much longer.

Thankfully, The Senjus had reluctantly agreed to carry out the marriage in the old ways followed by the Uchiha. It was a good decision because Tajima would never allow any of his sons to be married in a temple of gods whom he considered false and blasphemous. At the same time, The Senjus had made clear they would not appreciate to marry their only princess in front of the old gods of the Uchiha. It was another one of the cultural differences between the two former enemies despite the fact that they were once a part of the same family. In the end, a compromise was made when Naruto suggested the marriage take place in the Royal Garden under a simple holy tree with the blessings of a priest who knew enough about both religions.

It would seem this Union was going to set a lot of new rituals and send cultural shocks throughout the elemental nations, if it had not already done so. A fact which made Naruto smirk internally before he was brought out of his thoughts by Madara's loud voice.

"Who comes? Who comes before the Gods?" Madara asked clearly, Naruto's eyes stayed on Tsunade who smiled at him, as her eldest brother answered the question.

"Tsunade, of The Senju Clan comes here to be wed." Hashirama announced proudly with a beaming smile,

It was her second brother who followed the ritual although his ice cold eyes seemed to bore into Naruto's very soul and his clenched fists was enough to show how much he hated this. "She comes to claim the blessings of the Gods. Who comes to claim her?" Tobirama asked coldly,

"Me," Naruto said firmly, determined to show the white haired Senju he was not intimidated by him in the slightest, that his opinion did not matter to him. That he was glad to marry Tsunade , regardless of Tobirama's bitter feelings. "Naruto, of The Uchiha Clan," he continued clearly, "The Dragon King and Rightful Ruler of the Elemental Nations. I claim her. Who gives her?" he asked, finally moving his eyes from his bride and to his last good-brother.

"Itama, of The Senju clan," Itama replied, meeting Naruto's eyes for a moment with a smile before he turned his attention to Tsunade. "Princess Tsunade, will you take this man?" he asked amusedly referring to her former title earning an eye roll from the blonde beauty and slight chuckles from the guests.

"I take this man," Tsunade said, her voice strong and clear as her eyes found Naruto's.

He smiled a tiny smile for her, and she relinquished her hold on Itama's arm at the gesture. Slowly she walked from away from her brothers, and stepped around the pool until she stood face to face with Naruto. He offered his hand at once and she gave her own without hesitation. Naruto put a little pressure on her hand as he took it in his, holding her eyes and sharing a smile with her before they both turned slightly to face the holy tree. They knelt as one, their hands still clasped, and bowed their heads in submission to the priest who started the ceremony. Naruto knew that unlike him Tsunade did not believe or pray to any gods, new and old, but he himself sent a silent prayer to them.

 _A happy and contented life._

That's all he asked for. That's all he ever wanted now. He squeezed her hand lightly again once he had finished, hoping that she would understand the pressure. She squeezed his hand back, and he assumed that she had.

He raised his bowed head before rising slowly to his feet, keeping Tsunade's hand firmly in his own to keep her steady as she rose gracefully back up. With that Naruto glanced behind him, nodding slightly to the Madara, who approached slowly with the Royal Uchiha cloak draped over his arm. Naruto turned his attention back to his bride, moving his fingers to the clasp around her neck. He could feel her warm breath on the back of his hand as he unfastened her maiden's cloak from around her and slipped it away from her shoulders. He passed it back to the Madara, receiving the royal Uchiha cloak in return and sweeping it quickly around Tsunade's shoulders before she had the chance to get cold. His fingers shook ever so slightly as he fastened the clasp, knowing that this final gesture was the one that bound them fully as husband and wife.

When he moved his hands away again he met her eyes before talking both her hands in both of his, tugging her closer slightly. She moved willingly, her head already tilted up so she could meet his eyes. In that moment he wished that he had kissed her that night when they were alone in her chambers, when there had not been any other eyes on them. Now they were surrounded by people, and he could practically see Tsunade's nerves shining in her eyes. He couldn't not kiss her. For one thing he wanted to, and for another, it would look bad to those in attendance. They would make assumptions. _Wrong assumptions_ , that he wished to avoid at all costs. He pushed that from his mind and leaned into Tsunade, tilting his head and closing his eyes the moment before their lips met. Hers were soft and warm as he had expected them to be, and he let his own linger for a long moment before he pulled back. She smiled widely when he did so, and he returned the gesture gladly, unable to believe that this moment he had dreaded for so many days had brought him such an inexplicable joy.

* * *

"It's gorgeous, really, but I could not have another bite," Tsunade protested, raising her hands up to stop Naruto from tempting her with another forkful of raspberry and cream tart.

"Are you certain I cannot persuade you?" he asked her teasingly, and she shook her head determinedly.

"No you cannot, not in this matter at any rate," she answered him, and he chuckled, laying the fork back down against his plate before contemplating his new wife. She had discarded her cloak due to the heat in the dining hall, and the unblemished skin of her arms was teasing him through the delicate lace of her sleeves. He was so busy admiring her that he didn't notice that she was no longer occupied with sipping from her wine glass. She cleared her throat slightly, and he snapped his eyes up to meet her amused gaze.

"Admiring the lace?" she arched that one brow, and he smiled sheepishly.

"Something like that," he muttered, holding her eyes for a moment before he turned to pick up his own glass.

"It's been dark for rather a while," Tsunade mused quietly as he sipped down the sweet wine.

"Indeed," he agreed with her after he swallowed his mouthful.

"I wonder when…" she hesitated, "when the call will come for us to leave," she finished, and Naruto moved his hand to lay across hers.

"I will not allow anyone to accompany us to our chambers and risk having them embarrass either of us" he soothed her, rubbing his thumb against the back of her hand.

"What do you mean?" she turned to frown at him,

"I mean I will not have you teased, with the men and women ogling at you. I won't allow it, you're _my queen_ ," he explained, "we will retire when we are both ready."

"From that I can only assume that you are waiting on me," she smiled rather wickedly at him, and he narrowed his eyes at her.

"And will you keep me waiting?" he asked her softly, leaning in slightly closer to her.

"No," the simple word sounded like magic, and Naruto's eyes could see the quickening of her breathing in the way her bodice rose and fell more rapidly.

"Then will you allow me to escort you to our chambers?" he asked, his voice barely more than a whisper.

"Yes," she breathed back, that one word making his pants feel uncomfortably tight. Gods, he had been far too long without a woman. Looking at Tsunade, however, had him certain that his patience would be well rewarded. Slowly he pushed back his chair and rose up to his feet, offering her his hand. She took it, rising up to her own feet. At their action the dining hall seemed to pause, and Naruto swallowed hard, knowing he would have to address them.

"The queen and I are retiring for the night," Naruto declared knowing it was already close to early morning, the feast and celebrations had gone long into the night with all clan heads and other leaders actually enjoying themselves to fine wine, delicious food, and exotic women whom Naruto had to reluctantly acquire for their amusement.

Feeling Tsunade add pressure to his hand at his words gave him the courage to finish his addressal "Please, in our absence continue to feast, drink and dance until whatever hour you choose!" A cheer went up at his words, and there was the distinct clanking of many tankards and glasses.

He saw his friends giving him amused grins with Madara and Naori being the same. Tajima gave a brief nod but the small smile on his lips was all the assurance Naruto needed from his Father. Hashirama had far too many drinks and was already passed out, Itama was busy watching the exotic dancers but did give them a nod, but if previously Tobirama looked cold right now he looked _murderous_. Unlike the other guests, the sour man had not enjoyed himself and sulked in a corner despite Tsunade's best attempts to cheer him up. Naruto could still remember the few words Tobirama had said to him when he managed to corner him away and when Tsunade was not looking. Tobirama had looked at the drunk clan heads before giving Naruto a cold look...

 _"King Naruto, you'll be fighting their battles and grudges forever. I wish you good luck"_

Those words had hit a nerve with Naruto and if not for the fact that Tobirama was Tsunade's brother and quite dear to her, he would have been more than willing to throw the bitter man in the dungeons. Maybe it was best if he kept an eye on him, an endeavor in which Tobi Shimura would prove greatly useful considering the man's utter contempt for Tobirama as the Senju had killed two of the Shimura clan head's brothers in the war.

He felt Tsunade's worried gaze staring at him which made him dismiss those dark thoughts and give her a reassuring smile. It was better if she didn't know about her brother's attempts to ruin their wedding with his bitter attitude.

Naruto pulled Tsunade away from the high table and off the dais, skirting the edge of the dining hall rather that leading her through the middle of the throng of people. Her hand was holding on tightly to his, but he did not complain of the pressure, knowing that she was likely nervous. He himself was nervous, having never taken a Senju into his bed before. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her, but he knew well enough that he would not be able to prevent all of her discomfort. It had been a surprise to him when she revealed to him that she had not been with any man before, considering how beautiful she was he found that hard to believe, not that it bothered him. It would be hypocritical of him, but the sincere look in her eyes was enough to make him believe her. In the end he could not deny he felt happy to be her _first_ and was determined to make it as bearable as possible, that was about as much as he could promise. After the first time he could promise her pleasure, his time with Shizuka and Mikoto had taught him the best ways to satisfy a woman.

He almost shuddered with desire, thinking of manipulating Tsunade's glorious body in any number of ways. How he longed to have her shaking beneath him, clenching tightly around him and crying out her relief to the Gods. Damn it all, his pants really were unbearably tight now, and they were not even half way up the stairs. He quickened the pace slightly, hoping that Tsunade would not be offended by his eagerness. With every step he reminded himself that he could not just remove her gown and ravish her as soon as they closed the door to their chambers. He had to be slow with her.

 _Gentle._

He had to be patient and reassure her that he was happy to go at her pace. This time, at least. Gods. He almost groaned as he realized morning was barely a few hours away and they needed to rest thoroughly before the important announcements tomorrow. It wouldn't be good if they showed up half exhausted, most of the clan heads would understand but it would also send a bad message that their new King and Queen valued their _pleasure_ more than their duty. Neither of them could afford to let such rumors flow, not with this new peace so fragile and many clan heads still bitter with their grudges. All it would take was a minor slight and the war could start again. He could not afford that, not after everything that he had to give up. Everything his family gave up for him.

Naruto could have wept in relief when they came upon their chamber door, and he pushed it open, pulling Tsunade in after him before he closed it firmly behind them and slid the lock into place. He turned to look at her then, seeing her eyes lingering on the locked door. "I would leave it open, but we have rather a lot of people in the Castle tonight, and a large portion of them will likely end up drunk and disorientated," he smiled reassuringly at her and she giggled slightly. His eyes were drawn to her hands, seeing how her fingers flexed towards her palms. He frowned, crossing to her and gently taking hold of her hands.

"Are you okay?" he murmured, looking up to meet her eyes and seeing that a frown adorned her own face. "I hate to think that anything here makes you feel uncomfortable. That _I_ make you uncomfortable, if that is the case then I won't- "

" _You don't!_ " Tsunade protested at once, her hands flying to his chest as her head shook almost violently. "You couldn't, you never did…not once have I been Uncomfortable in your presence. _Apprehensive, yes. Nervous, yes_. But **_not_** Uncomfortable. You _don't_ frighten me, Naruto. You have been kind and honest with me despite how cruel I was to you when we first met"

He let one of his own hands come up and caress one of hers in response, hoping to calm the wild look in her eyes. Or control his own guilt, while it was true that he had been kind to her but honest? Not by a long shot, a fact which haunted him every moment he was with her.

"I wasn't accusing you," he said softly, "I know you're nervous about tonight, but I swear the last thing in this world I want to do is hurt you."

"I know," she whispered, her free hand coming to toy with the leather lacings of his cloak. He didn't move. He kept silent, just watching the progress of her finger as she wound the lacing round and around it. When she tugged on it slightly, as though for permission, he met her eyes and inclined his head slightly. At his action she pulled more firmly, undoing the top of his cloak. He heard her take a steadying breath, and he stepped closer on hearing it, moving his hand from hers so he could place both of his on her waist.

"As slow as you like," he promised, not moving his eyes from hers. "Say 'stop', and I will, without question." She nodded at his words, both hands at his chest working to unthread his shirt now. Naruto kept his hands resting gently on her waist as she slowly removed it and left his chest hanging open.

He leaned in closer to her and brushed his lips against her cheek. She tilted her head at his action, turning it closer towards him. Her action was enough to encourage him to capture her lips with his. This time it was far from chaste, as he sucked her bottom lip between his own to encourage her to grant him access to her mouth. She did so, with a surprised gasp, and Naruto wasted little time, slipping his tongue into her mouth and kissing her deeply. Her own lips were tentative, but they were ever so soft and wonderful against his as she slowly adjusted to the rhythm he had set. He caressed her tongue with his own and she twisted hers deftly with his, causing him to pull on her waist until her body was pressed flush against him.

She didn't protest as his closeness, if anything she reciprocated his advances, her hands moving from his chest so she could wrap her arms tightly around his neck. Her movement encouraged him to let his hands wander up her back, feeling the lacings of her dress as he did so. When he found the top of them he blindly worked his fingers to untie them, feeling them come away beneath his touch. Tsunade twisted the fingers on one of her hands around the hair at the nape of his neck as he began to slowly unthread the lacings of her dress the way she had loosened his own clothes. She pulled away from his kiss when he reached halfway down her back, her breathing ragged and her eyes wide.

"Should I stop?" he asked her, and she shook her head.

"I just needed to breathe," she panted out, and he chuckled at her.

"You'll get used to it," he said, still deftly unthreading her laces.

"I do hope so," she smiled that wicked little smile that he had seen during the feast, and he couldn't help but return it.

"I can't promise you a perfect night, Tsunade," he said seriously when he pulled the last of her lacings free.

"This is already more than I ever imagined," she said just as seriously, and he smiled slightly.

"I swear to you, I will make up for it very soon," he promised her, and she blinked slowly at him.

"I don't know what that means," she said, her eyes wide on his.

"It doesn't matter now," he said, shaking his head and moving his hands to run down the length of her arms. When he reached her shoulders she allowed her arms to unwind from around his neck, moving them back do her sides.

"Can I?" he asked her permission, digging his fingers underneath the silk covering her shoulders. She nodded her consent, and he dipped his eyes to look down at her hands as he began to pull down her dress. Her fingers twitched slightly, but they did not curl back against her palms as he peeled the silk down her arms and torso.

She was wearing a flimsy shift beneath, and he was gratified to see that the buds of her breasts were peaked. He knew it could not be due to the cold, as their chamber was almost as warm as the dining hall had been, and there was no sign of gooseflesh on her skin. He delighted in revealing her skin, the soft, creamy expanse of it was entirely flawless. Nothing marred it. Not one scar nor blemish. Not so far anyway. Naruto made it his silent mission to explore every inch of her skin.

Perhaps not tonight, but one night, one night in the not too distant future. He would scour every inch. He promised himself that. He wanted to promise her, too, but he wasn't sure whether she would want to hear it at this point, as her beautiful wedding gown dropped and pooled at her feet. Naruto moved his hands back to her shoulders, massaging her gently as he met her eyes.

"You can take this off yourself, when you're ready," he nodded towards her shift.

"Thank you," she smiled at him, a proper smile that lit up her eyes.

"That doesn't mean it has to be tonight," he elaborated, and she nodded, though he noticed that her eyes had widened slightly in surprise.

"Perhaps if you lose a little of your own clothing," her tone was teasing, but he could hear the tiny shake in her voice.

"As you wish, _my queen_ ," he decided against drawing attention to it, matching her intended teasing tone. He shrugged his pants carefully before reaching for his last piece of clothing. Suddenly he felt incredibly self-conscious with her eyes fixed so intently on him. The few scars across his body were now clear for her to see, it had never bothered either Mikoto or Shizuka when he took them to his bed, but none of them had been _Tsunade_.

Mikoto had battle scars of her own and Shizuka was actually aroused by his scars. But the woman before him now was unlike his previous sexual partners.

She was his milk-skinned wife and perfect in every manner.

He bit down on his lower lip before he pulled the last piece of clothing, tossing it aside before looking to her for a reaction.

Her eyes had widened slightly and his heart hammered, seeing how the perfect hazel of them was pulled towards his left leg. That was the worst of his scars, one which he had gained during an intense sparing match with Kurama. It hadn't been deep, but was bloody and he had always known it would be with him forever. At least it was no longer angry, and pink, and raw. It was fully healed now, a flawless white against his skin. He swallowed, keeping his eyes on Tsunade as she moved her eyes over the rest of his chest and arms. She took a step closer to him, her fingers coming to whisper along his forearm and up to his bicep. Her forefinger traced a tiny scar just above the crease in his elbow, her eyes raising to his again.

"How did you get this one?" she asked gently, and he wanted to kiss her and never stop. The relief in him was so overwhelming that he was almost crushed by the weight of it.

"As a child, sparring with wooden swords with my brothers," he told her, "we were only wearing shorts because of the intense summer heat, and Inabi caught me on the arm. There was a nasty splinter in the wood and it embedded itself in my skin. The doctors pulled it out with and I screamed the whole time, more to make Inabi feel guilty than anything else." He grinned at the end, and she smiled back at him, her eyes blazing with an intensity that he had never seen before as she looked at him. Slowly she moved her hands up to rest on her own shoulders, and Naruto swallowed hard as she hooked her fingers under the thin straps of her shift. He kept his eyes on hers as she slipped them slowly along her shoulders, unable to look away from her piercing gaze.

"Take me to bed," she whispered, the wisp of silk that was her shift falling to the floor at her feet.

Naruto didn't need telling twice, placing his hands on her now bare waist and steering her slowly towards the bed. He turned her gently so that she stood before him as he lowered himself to sit on the edge of the bed. She bit down on her lip as he allowed his eyes to wander the splendor of her. Still he could see no flaw. No blemish. Nothing to suggest she was anything other than sheer perfection. Her breasts were firm and perfectly rounded, and he couldn't help but imagine how they would fit perfectly in his hands. Her waist was narrow and her stomach flat. His eyes wandered the curve of her hips, biting down on his own lip as he sought out what was between her creamy thighs. Gods. He wanted her. He looked up to her face again, seeing her eyes wide once more. "You're beautiful," he breathed, and he could see the relief relaxing all of her features.

In the next moment he bent down to hurriedly throw away his sandals, before he straightened up again, pulling back the furs on the bed as he slowly stood up.

"After you," he gestured for Tsunade to climb in, and she did so, clearly unsure of how she should arrange the furs around her.

"Whatever makes you comfortable," he reminded her, and she drew them up around her waist at his words. Naruto averted his eyes momentarily as he moved to adjust his painfully hard length on the bed.

He breathed a sigh of relief before he turned to climb in next to Tsunade, avoiding her gaze for the moment, only looking at her again when he too had drawn the furs up around his waist.

"I don't know what to do next. I mean I know the procedure but not sure which _route_ is best" she told him quietly, her hand reaching out to settle on his chest.

"Will you guide me?" she asked shyly.

"Of course," he replied, shifting himself carefully so that he could move above her. A flash of uncertainty crossed her features for a moment, but then he noticed her slowly moving her legs apart for him.

"Follow your instincts," he breathed, settling himself between her legs before pressing a kiss to her neck.

"If I do something you don't like, tell me to stop," he whispered, lavishing more kisses along her neck and collarbone. "And if you do like it, tell me to do it again," he continued in an amused tone, feeling her hands come to lay flat against the top of his back.

"I like that," she said quietly, "what you're doing now." He smiled against her skin, imagining the light blush that would have flared up on her cheeks.

"Then I will continue," he murmured against her softness, nuzzling along her collarbone before he latched onto her neck.

She gasped, her back arching up slightly against his body, her reaction encouraging him to let his hand wander slowly up towards her breast. Another gasp left her when he enclosed his hand around the perfect mound. He had been right, it did fit perfectly in his hand, and a tiny little hum left her mouth as he began to tenderly massage her. As he continued kissing her and caressing her she began to slowly raise her hips up and grind against him as slowly as he was touching her breast. He stifled his own groan of pleasure in the skin of her neck, as a more pronounced hum of pleasure escaped her lips. The rolling of her hips was almost driving him wild now, and he shifted himself slightly so that his length could sit between her legs.

"Don't stop," he gasped against her neck as her movements faltered. She obeyed him, continuing to grind herself against him in an agonizingly slow way.

Naruto could feel her arousal against his hardness, and he knew that he could not ignore his own desires any longer.

"Tsunade," he panted against her, tensing all his muscles in a bid to keep himself from peaking right there and then.

" _Have me_ ," she gasped in response, "I want you to have me, completely…" Gods, her words alone were the most arousing thing he could imagine. Her consent had him sneaking his other hand beneath the furs to squeeze around her thigh and encourage her leg to come and wrap around his waist. She took his hint, lifting her other leg to do the same.

Naruto was positioned right at her entrance now and he lifted his head up to meet her eyes. They were slightly unfocused, her forehead clammy with sweat and her hair mussed across the pillows.

By the Gods she looked stunning. So undone and beautiful. Perfect in her imperfection.

He held her eyes as he pushed down, her nails pinching little crescents into his back as he felt himself push through the barrier he was met with. A whimper escaped her, her teeth coming to clamp down on her lower lip once more.

"I'm sorry," he hissed, forcing himself to still within her, even though the urge to rock himself over and over within her tight warmth was almost overwhelming.

"Don't stop," she shook her head, her nails ceasing to dig into his back. He obeyed. Against his better judgement he obeyed her, rocking his hips back and forth. She grimaced and he faltered, but again she shook her head. There were tears in her eyes but still she refused to let him stop, and fool he was he could do nothing but continue thrusting into her. He knew she was hurting, but she felt so good around him and she was telling him to go on.

In the end he had to bury his head in the crook of her neck so he didn't have to see the discomfort etched on her face. It was selfish, he knew, but he couldn't stand knowing that he was causing her pain. He kissed her neck, knowing from her own admission that she liked him to do so. Her fingertips whispered down his back in response, and he arched further into her involuntarily. His movement caused him to rock deeper inside her, and a cry that seemed half pain and half surprise escaped her. He closed his eyes tight shut as he thrust again, forcing himself to keep the pace slow as he felt his release building in him. He would not make Tsunade come this time, but he was determined he would show her every pleasure he knew how to illicit on the first chance they could get after tomorrow. He promised himself that as he exploded within her, panting hard and crushing his exhausted body down against her own as he twitched to his end inside her.

"I'm sorry," he whispered again, when he had recovered enough breath to speak again.

"Don't be," her hands came to settle in his hair, gently twirling his locks around her fingertips.

"Would you let me stay here?" she asked him quietly, unsure if he was ready to sleep by her side. She knew it was ridiculous after they just performed the most intimate act a couple could ever perform, but she just had to be sure that she was not violating his need for privacy. Alas, her concerns were totally wrong.

"You don't even have to ask, of course I want you to stay here," he lifted his head up to meet her eyes.

"I want you to stay here even when I am not here, I want these chambers to be _ours_ , Tsunade," he told her insistently, and she smiled weakly at him.

"Hold me," she whispered, and he shifted himself carefully to separate himself from her once more. He moved to her side and helped her settle herself across his chest, nestling her head under his chin and stroking one of his hands soothingly through her hair.

"Will you promise to wake me so that we can leave tomorrow for court together?" she asked him sleepily, her nails clenching into his chest slightly as she spoke.

"If that's what you want," he said, and she nodded against him. "I promised to treat you as my queen, my equal. I _will_ honor that promise." he said sincerely, making her smile and kiss him deeply again. A gesture which he was more than happy to reciprocate.

Many things were uncertain even after their wedding and their challenges were just about to begin.

But for tonight, they both nestled closely against each other and decided to forget about the world for once.


	24. War of Conquest

**Thank you for the support. Hope you continue it.**

 **Chapter 24**

 **War of Conquest**

* * *

He lay awake in bed staring at the soundly asleep person beside him. It was hard to believe that she was his wife now, bound to him for life. Just as he was to her...

Last night was unlike anything he had ever experienced before. It was not just the pleasure that excited him but more the fact that there was an understanding between them. She had trusted him with everything, be it the future of her family or her own body, had understood and accepted him for who he was.

And it made him feel horrible.

He had promised to treat her as his queen, his lawful wife, his equal. To love and care for her, to provide and protect her from anything and everything.

All his life he had lived by his own sense of honor. It was the only thing that had kept him sane after the things he had seen and done over the years, others might consider it a stupid moral which shinobi should never abide by.

But to him it was everything.

 _If one cannot trust their own words, how could they expect others to do the same?_

But now he could slowly feel his honor slipping away from him. The sense of righteousness and justice that had always given him strength was now becoming his weakness because every second he realized he was lying to his wife.

 _Honor_ dictated that he tell her the truth about his daughters with Shizuka. It was the right thing to do, and it was not as if he had done anything wrong because the deed was done before he ever met Tsunade.

But _Duty_ dictated that he do everything in his power to protect his children from everyone in the world, no matter who they were. He was the one that gave those two growing babes life and it was his duty to keep them safe. This peace with the Senju was new and for all the growing friendship he was developing with Tsunade, he couldn't determine how she would react. Much less her brothers, especially Tobirama who was already dangerous as it was.

In the end, torn between honor and duty he realized he was putting his _Family_ in Danger.

 **Family. Duty. Honor.**

A soundless chuckle escaped from his lips as he realized how the morals he had lived his life by were directly related to the words of a certain clan. He had always imagined the words _Fire and Blood_ had something special in them, and they did.

But the Uzumaki clan's words were the principles he had lived by his entire life.

Madara was more an appropriate example of Fire and Blood.

 _A day shall come when you'll have to choose and your choice shall determine the fate of not just your family but that of the world._

Shizuka's words haunted him even now and he still dreaded the remaining two events she had warned him about where he would be forced to make a choice.

After what happened in his life in the past few months, he was now more than a believer of her words and prophecy.

He was brought out of his thoughts when he felt Tsunade move and unknowingly wrap herself more closer to his side. The rays of the morning sun were now slowly entering their chamber and he could not help but watch as they made her glow. Those golden hair of hers were a beacon of light and her faintly moist skin was shining under the sunlight. A soft whimper escaped her lips which made him run soothing circles in her back eliciting a contended sigh from her. Despite his inner turmoil, a smile graced his lips and he remembered he had made her a promise last night.

His mind calculated the remaining time they had before their attendance at the Royal Court was required, combined that with his own guilt he decided to do something special for her just as he had promised her.

With a single hand seal, he made a shadow clone who only needed a knowing gesture from its creator to understand what was needed. Grabbing a spare pair of clothes and a cloak from the wardrobe the clone exited out of the room and shut the door very quietly.

A sly grin graced his lips as he carefully extricated himself from their shared embrace and shifted himself on the bed,

Tsunade moaned in a quiet whisper as he pressed a lovely but gentle kiss on the sensitive side of her neck. His hands were lightly coated in warm chakra and he used them expertly to explore every inch of her body. He started with her shoulders, then moved to her slender arms, then to her beautiful breasts, followed by her waist and curvy legs.

He could not help but grin proudly as her moans were now becoming louder and her body involuntarily was starting to crave his touch more and more. Unlike him, she was a very deep sleeper but considering the building pleasure he was spreading across her body, he doubted she would stay asleep for long.

And he needed her to be in her dreamworld just a little more longer.

It was why he made a hand seal and subtly encouraged her drowsy mind to remain in its little heaven a little longer. While using genjutsu was not something most Uchiha ever practiced on their partners during sex, he felt in this instance it would be worth it for her.

He resisted the urge to kiss her lips and could feel his own hardness make its protest known. But he reminded himself this was about her, just as last night she had made every effort to satisfy him.

Tsunade's hands tightly clutched the bed sheet as she felt a flame being ignited across her entire body. It was unlike anything she had ever felt before and she could not help but crave for it even more. Her drowsy mind finally started to regain its senses and she realized she was moaning.

 _A lot._

She could sense a deep ache building between her legs, it was so painful yet enjoyable at the same time. Her eyes slowly fluttered open and at first all she could see were dark blurs and stars. Gods, what was happening to her?

Finally, her eyes regained their vision and she saw a faint mop of brown hair.

Her gaze slightly widened when she saw Naruto was lying in between her legs and as their gaze met she saw him kiss just above the most intimate part of her. Tsunade cried out loud in pleasure and she was very wet, and her husband was grinning at her smugly.

"Naruto?" she breathed questioningly, her chest heaving. He didn't respond with words. He responded by pressing a kiss between her legs and she inhaled sharply, her hands fisting in the furs atop the bed. Naruto kissed her again, and this time his tongue flicked against part of her that made her body seemingly convulse. A gasp and a strangled cry left her mouth as he did it again, unable to stop her hips from rolling up towards him. Naruto seemed encouraged, gliding and swirling his tongue against her so deliciously that her head felt like it was spinning uncontrollably. Somewhere she was aware that she was moaning wantonly, and that her hands were scrabbling against the furs and sheets as though they were the only thing holding her in the real world. Because nothing else felt real as Naruto continued to lick, and kiss, and suck at the most secret part of her body.

Her stomach tightened and her thighs began to shake. Instinct had her pressing them together as Naruto drove a pleasure through her that she felt sure would kill her if it continued any longer. He denied her instincts, his hands keeping her thighs firmly apart as he continued to feast between them. Her whole body was twitching now, almost violent convulsions rippling through her as she thrashed against the bed. Her back arched up and an agonized cry came right from the very pit of her stomach and released into their bedchamber as all her tensed muscles suddenly relaxed all at once. Vaguely she was aware that Naruto had released his hold on her thighs, and slowly she became aware of him kissing his way back up her body. She lay there dazed, panting hard to regain her breath as her heart hammered in her chest. Her thighs still twitched involuntarily, and little spasms shot through her entire body. Every pore tingled deliciously, as though she had just been shattered into a million pieces and then put back together again.

It was incredible. Indescribable. So much pleasure should surely not be allowed.

Tsunade closed her eyes momentarily as her head began to clear a little more, becoming aware of her skin being damp across her forehead and between her breasts. She could feel it behind her legs as well, and between her thighs. By the Gods she must look a mess, but Naruto was looking at her as though she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen when she opened her eyes again. "How?" she breathed, the only word she felt capable of uttering at his moment. He smiled widely in response, running his hand across her brow to push her damp hair away from her forehead.

"I promised," he said simply, and she just about managed to smile at him before he leaned down to kiss her. She lost herself in him. Tasting the difference of him and realizing with a jolt that it was because she was tasting herself on his lips. He obviously noticed her moment of surprise as he pulled back, his fingers slowly coming to caress along her cheek.

"Are you alright?" he asked softly, and she bit down on her lip.

"I am not sure how a person is ever supposed to become accustomed to such a thing," she told him honestly, and he dropped a light kiss to the tip of her nose.

"I don't think it would be the same, if it were something we were to grow used to," he responded, and she hummed her agreement, nodding slightly.

Even in her dazed state, she saw he was painfully hard and could not imagine how much he must have restrained himself to give her pleasure. She could not but not want to give him the same joy...

Her hand reached for his hardness but he stopped her midway. Their gaze met and she was surprised when without any word she understood his message. It was so strange to be able to communicate with someone just through a single gaze, but damn if she did not understood him or admire his adherence to his duty as King.

How could someone so faithfully stick to their own morals no matter the temptation?

She knew she couldn't not with what he offered her. But he was different from her, more strong and rationale not just in the physical manner. He was an enigma to her, an Uchiha she had never seen before.

 _And he was hers._

She nearly jumped in surprise when their chamber door quietly opened but he grabbed her hand reassuringly and it was then she realized it was a clone of his who was carrying a large tray full of juice and breakfast.

A lone tear threatened to slip from her eye as the clone pushed a table right beside her bed and placed the delicious smelling breakfast right before her. Naruto smiled at her stupefied expression as he got out of the bed and Tsunade could not help but admire his well toned and muscled body, and his scars as well.

The clone gave her a last smile before he joined beside its creator. She remained silent and mesmerizingly watched as Naruto donned a fresh pair of clothes minus a shirt which only served to arouse her more. He went to his desk and wrote something on a piece of parchment before passing it to his clone who read it, nodded and then silently went out of the room again.

When that was done, she watched him momentarily stare at the vast Capital spread out before him through the lone window of their chambers. Tsunade could not help but notice as the sunlight bathed his chest and to her surprise not even a patch of his skin became red due to the heat. She then remembered the horrible tale of him slaughtering Uchiha traitors and how he had not burned in the inferno that consumed them all, but not him.

Maybe some of the tales were not false. Maybe few of his kind really did descend from dragons...

It was the only phenomenon she could think of, for no matter how powerful a ninja was, they were still vulnerable to fire.

 _But not him._

 **The Young Dragon** , they all called him and she could not help but agree as she watched his form in the light that the name truly suited him.

"Naruto?''

He turned towards her with a gentle smile and she could not help but feel greatly happy.

"Thank you" she whispered, her voice wavering just slightly but he didn't mind.

He silently came towards her and laid a gentle kiss on her lips before breaking apart and moving towards the breakfast tray. She was about to intervene but one look from him made her stop midway. He was a man of few words but his actions and deeds spoke for him. A fact she realized more and more with every moment that she spent with him...

Together, they both enjoyed their first breakfast and throughout the entire morning there was a radiant smile on her face.

* * *

Hashirama had seen many great and terrible things in his life but even he could not deny the sight before him today was possibly the greatest he had ever seen. Standing on top of the City walls, he could not help but admire the mass of gathered humanity.

 _50,000 soldiers._

He could see countless flags of different ninja clans with many familiar to him. Half of the army was made up of ninjas of all sorts, be they clan warriors, nomads, or individuals.

The remaining half was made up civilian soldiers, shogun warriors, Samurai, and a few mercenary companies.

It was possibly the largest and most powerful army united under one banner for the first time after the Sage of Six Paths reigned over the world. And everyone of these fighters was here for one reason alone.

 _The War of Conquest._

Once upon a time the Rikudo Sennin and his family ruled over the entire world but that dynasty shattered due to the war between Indra and Ashura. What was once a united realm was divided into so many pieces with different nations rising and falling over the thousands of years.

But now the true rulers of the world were now determined to get back what was theirs.

The Uchiha and Senju were destined to rule over the world maintaining the peace the Sage wanted. Hashirama knew this war would take many lives but he had hope that once the world was united, the scale of conflict could be controlled to an extent. He was no fool to think that war would ever end despite what many believed. It was in man's blood and so long as there were men, there would be war.

But it was also true that peace could also be maintained if men wanted it.

In a way it was not just the desire for peace but many other favorable factors that contributed to this change. The most important being the fact that too much blood had already been shed among the ninja clans, and most lords realized their families would die if they continued fighting each other. The power play by the Daimyo only fueled to sow the seed of unification.

The union of the Uchiha and Senju alongwith the arrival of the strongest Biju of the world was the final nail in the coffin.

Humans respected and feared power, and currently Naruto Uchiha was the most powerful man in the world.

The boy was by no means perfect and had faults of his own but he knew how to rally people to his cause. This grand army had not just rallied to him because of his alliance with the Senju, but for the fact that many of these soldiers wanted what most humans wanted.

 _Fame, wealth, fights, lands and immortality._

They all knew that this war could and would give them just that, because if Naruto Uchiha managed to win, then he would be the first after the Rikudo Sennin to rule over the world. Whether his dynasty survived for long or not, humanity would remember the **First King** to rule over their race and all those who lived and died for the King would most probably be remembered for a long time.

Another beneficial factor was the fact that the alliance with the Senju and the Daimyo's resources gave Naruto the ability to start this war. The last harvest had been bountiful and there was enough food, coin, weaponry and supplies to run this grand army. It also benefited from the presence of many great leaders of war which assured a sound and reliable chain of command for the men to depend upon. The Land of Fire was finally rid of war and it had immensely boosted morale making thousands of eager civilians to join the King's cause in hopes of making something for themselves. Already, the popularity of the Dragon King was soaring high day by day, and if he won then he would forever be immortal.

The only problem to this war was the fact that Winter was almost upon them, and the elemental nations were soon going to be engulfed in dangerous weather. Many learned men had foretold the coming winter would be harsh and severe, if not long. Waging a world war in such a time was not advisable, but Naruto had no other choice. The entire Land of Fire while enjoying peace was getting more scarce to sustain so many ninja clans and civilian population. More than that, old feuds that were being kept in check for now would soon resurface if these men and women were not given a cause to fight for.

One way or another, this war had to happen if Naruto's reign was to last more than a year.

Hashirama glanced at the most tallest and powerful banners among the army. On the left flank was a flag very familiar to him with a roaring Antler flying high in the sky.

 _Ours is the Fury._

Not many of his people often recited their clan's words but those were the words of their ancestors and Hashirama knew they were more true than ever for even the mighty Uchiha had been wary of the Senju's fury if they want too far in the war.

On the right flank, was the famous and dangerous Dragon banner of the Uchiha clan flanked by many smaller ones of their allies and comrades alike.

 _Fire and Blood._

Every Uchiha ever born often chanted those words more than a thousand times in their lifetimes. For all their arrogance and stubbornness, they were one of the finest fighters in the world feared and respected even by the Senjus.

On top of both these banners was a new banner. It was unique but at the same time a combination of the best traits of both clans.

 _A roaring three headed dragon._

Hashirama could not help but respect Naori Uchiha's shrewdness as she took the best of both clans to give an identity to a dynasty that shall rule over the world if the gods were in favor. It gave due respect to the families it originated from but at the same time placed the dynasty above them as well.

He was brought out of his thoughts when he heard thousands of whispers at once, he didn't need to wait for long to determine the source behind this commotion. To say it was a grand entrance would be an understatement...

For many of these warriors it was the first time they ever saw a Biju, much less the strongest of the beasts and the Kyuubi did cut a menacing figure in his full glory. Hashirama still could not get over his surprise at the size of the beast, nor its mighty tails that would be enough to smash the Capital to ground in minutes. It towered over men and women making each of them adequately aware about their own inferior existence. If rumors were to believed, many Uchiha were already starting to worship the fox as their _new god._

When the beast roared every soul across thousands of miles of earth was silenced with every pair of eyes glancing at the beast and the golden armored warrior standing on top of it.

The war strategy had already been discussed among the top ninja leaders and various leadership appointments were already finalized during the Royal War Council. But any leader was worthless unless their men supported them, and The Dragon King knew that very well.

Hashirama had been more than pleased on seeing the radiant smile on his beloved sister's face when he met her in the morning. She had assured him that Naruto was truly good and kind to her, even going so far as declaring her his equal in front of all the leaders. Not only did he allow her to fight by his side in this war but also made her one of his commanders.

Under the guidance of Daen Nara and other leaders, the war strategy was decided based on the information collected over the past few weeks by the Shimura, Inuzuka and Aburame scouts stationed at the borders.

Word had spread of Naruto's coronation and his intent to rule over the world. Naturally, it threatened the future of various ninja clans, noble lords, Daimyo's, and even Samurai spread across the world. It was not a surprise when news came that _two_ great armies had been formed to destroy the Dragon King and his allies.

The first was made up of the **Samurai Nation** that were being funded by atleast four important Daimyo's across the world. Made up of seasoned Samurai, minor ninja clans, shogun and mercenary companies it was an army containing _40,000_ strong fighters.

The second resistance had opened up in the **Land of Wind** whose Daimyo joined forces with the Daimyo of the **Land of Earth**. Together those two factions had managed to rally a force of _30,000_ fighters with half of them ninjas.

It was not taking into account the two smaller armies led by the ousted Fire Daimyo's relatives that were currently marching to retake the Capital, even if it was a lost cause.

In comparison to that challenge, Naruto had a force of 50,000 fighters with half of those numbers being ninjas and a Biju.

The King displayed his prowess at warfare by making crucial decisions after hearing the advices of his supporters.

The first priority was to crush the internal rebellion within the Land of Fire, for that purpose two small but strong forces were formed. One would be led by Sasuke Sarutobi who would command 8,000 fighters to crush the Daimyo loyalists in the east. The second would be led by Madara and Tobirama themselves with a force of 10,000 warriors to crush the Daimyo loyalists approaching from the west. Many had suggested Hashirama to work alongside his old friend but the King emphasized that he needed a fighter of Hashirama's caliber for his own campaign. Apparently, having a Biju would not be enough for the enemy they would be going up against.

When both of these armies managed to crush their opponents, their orders were to join forces and march on to face the armies of Land of Wind and Earth.

In the meantime, Naruto himself would lead a force of 22,000 fighters and his Biju to face the entire might of the Samurai nation. The King's plan was to crush the larger army first before attacking the Land of Wind and Earth from the east while Madara and Tobirama did the same from the South.

Surrounded from both sides, their enemies would have no choice but to surrender or face annihilation.

It was a great challenge to say the least for the fact that the enemy had greater numbers, but numbers didn't always help in winning wars. It surely raised the odds but Naruto had some of the finest clans in the world on his side, a highly motivated army and a monstrous Biju to support his cause.

To protect their homeland from any external threats and maintaining the peace, Tajima Uchiha and Daen Nara would remain behind with a handful leaders alongwith 10,000 of the last fighters. Together both veteran and experienced leaders would keep the peace until Naruto returned while also building the ninja village the King had ordered to be constructed. Daen was more than capable of ruling and Tajima was firm enough to keep the peace.

Madara would have leaders like Tobirama, Tobi Shimura, Mikoto Uchiha, Sasuke Sarutobi, Ken Hatake and Kakashi Hatake, Rei Namikaze, Tori Yamanaka, Hiro Inuzuka and several civilian generals acting as his commanders.

Naruto would be supported by Tsunade, Hashirama, Itama, his Kinsguard friends, Naori Uchiha, Shin Aburame, Yakumo Kurama and remaining civilian generals.

Tajima would protect their rising nation with the help of Daen Nara, Nakamura Akimichi, and Sakumo Hatake.

The preparations and plannings were finished, now it was time for war.

 **"WARRIORS OF FIRE!"**

Naruto's thunderous roar boomed across the entire land garnering the attention of every fighter present. He had to steel his heart as he literally watched an entire river of different colors step closer to him and Kurama. What made it more daunting was the fact that it was not a river of water...but a sheer army of _50,000_ fighters.

And each and everyone of them was looking at him.

 _Their King..._

For the first time in his life his throat felt dry and his hands were shaking. He knew becoming King would give him great power but watching this army before him frightened him. The fate of all these souls rested upon his decisions...

Standing so high on Kurama's back made him oblivious to the identity of every fighter but he knew they were all looking at him. They had answered his call to arms...now it was his duty to lead them.

But gods damn him if he wasn't excited and scared at the same time.

"For far too long has this world remained divided. For far too long we have killed each other in the name of our families, for honor, for glory, for revenge. Long have we forgotten the time when our ancestors ruled this world, Long have we forgotten the fact that our ancestors shared their homes, their lives, their families with each other..." roared Naruto passionately,

He stepped at the edge of Kurama's head so he could be visible to each and every man, woman and child present here. Whether he liked it or not, whether they believed it or not, whether he was worthy or not...he was their King.

"It was the _Great War_ that broke us apart. **_BUT THE GREAT WAR IS OVER!_** " yelled Naruto defiantly,

Thousands of approving roars were unleashed at his statement which was a stark proof of the fact that perhaps Hashirama and Naruto were not the only ones who craved for peace. Still, he was here to unite everyone regardless of their different views.

"You are here not to fight for me but to fight _BESIDE_ me! To take back what is rightfully _OURS_ , To once again unite _MANKIND_ once and for all!"

A small smile graced his lips when from the Uchiha side started a thunderous roar with thousands of men banging their fists against their shields and armor. What surprised him more was the fact that the call was valiantly answered by the Senju side as well...

"From this day forth we fight for more than ourselves! From this day we fight to preserve, protect and unite MANKIND!"

"In _Fury, Fire and Blood_ was this world created. It is time we reunite it again with **FURY, FIRE AND BLOOD!** "

 **"WE ARE NOT CONQUERORS!"**

 **"WE ARE NOT RAIDERS!"**

Tajima's breath stopped when he watched his son unleash the Uchiha's ancestral weapon high in the air. There was a momentary illumination as the light of the Sun was dwarfed by the sword's light which bathed Naruto in all its glory making thousands upon thousands gasp at the sight before them.

 **"ARISE! MEN OF DAWN!"**

A deafening sea of roars engulfed the land for thousands of miles as friends and enemies, comrades and rivals, civilians and ninjas, men and women all unleashed their swords, their shields, their spears, their flags and gave out a battlecry that was more louder and fiercer than the one unleashed by the giant Biju before them.

Kurama had never understood why his creator had always insisted to have faith in humans. The Sage of Six Paths belonged to a race greater than the humans yet he had loved this race as if they were his own children. He had fought for, believed and eventually died for these strange creatures. For a very, very long time Kurama had only seen the worst side of this race but today for the first time in his existence he felt hope for them.

From the corner of his eyes, he saw the man who made this miracle possible point his ancestral sword at the grand army.

 **"MEN OF DAWN! Oaths we have taken...LET'S FULFILL THEM ALL!"**

The first Dragon King raised his sword towards the skies unleashing the cry that changed the world forever.

 _"FOR MANKIND!"_


	25. The Wild Dragon

**I've noticed for the past 2 chapters most of you didn't review (Those who did have my thanks), I guess I can attribute that to the lack of action which will change with this chapter till the end of the story. I won't let it affect my updates unlike those authors who hold new chapters as ransom for reviews, but it would be nice to hear from you all!**

 **Chapter 25**

 **The Wild Dragon**

* * *

Madara watched their massive army starting to split up into three groups as they reached the crossroads point. He looked back and saw the distant silhouette of the Capital where they had left his Father, Daen Nara, and Sakumo Hatake in command of 10,000 men to defend their nation.

The remaining would march to war.

He had been initially surprised by his brother's decision to conquer the remaining elemental nations because his brother was not someone who craved for power like Tajima did. But Naruto had stated that as long as the nations remained divided, their isolation and conflicts would never end. He wanted to bring them all together so that a proper chain of command could be established that could keep ninjas in check and resources to be distributed a little more equally.

But the most dark reason behind this war was a simple fact that Naruto knew better than anyone else.

There were simply _too many_ ninjas in the world. And as long as men knew how to fight and kill, they would never stop. Madara knew he himself craved for good fights, and there were thousands of shinobi who shared those feelings.

In simple but harsh terms, this war would change that.

It was a bitter fact that many ninjas, Samurai and civilian fighters were going to die in this war. Naruto knew this better than anyone because he had made this decision even after being aware of that fact. Madara and Tajima were the only ones who were aware of the King's plan if he won the war. To say it was logical to an extent was an understatement, but it remained to be seen if that dream would ever come true.

He angled his warhorse in the direction of his brother who was also watching his own force march in a different direction. Naruto saw him coming and wordlessly approached towards him with the fox right by his side.

Madara got off his horse and stepped before his brother. Sometimes it was still hard for him to see this man as a King rather than the little boy who used to run after Izuna. But those days were gone, they were not the same boys anymore.

But they were brothers and nothing in this world was going to change that.

It was why Madara saw through Naruto's outwardly calm and composed facade to realize the true feelings in the boy's heart.

"Are you afraid?" asked Madara bluntly,

Naruto gave a hesitant nod earning a grim look from his eldest brother as Madara placed a hand on the King's shoulder.

"Good. Because once you get into the fight, _Win_ " advised Madara,

"I will" promised Naruto solemnly,

From the corner of his eyes, Madara saw Hashirama and his siblings were also saying their own farewells. Naori and Tajima had already did the same with him and currently his aunt was marching alongside the Kinsguard members.

Seeing that Naruto was still nervous, he decided to cheer up the boy one last time. Gods only knew how long it would be before they met and he could only imagine how his grim brother could survive that long with such gloomy thoughts. Gods, in some ways Naruto reminded him of Hashirama and he could barely tolerate one man of that kind.

"Next time I see you, I guess you'll be covered in _gold_ " japed Madara, suggesting the riches Naruto would get once he defeated the other nations.

Naruto glanced at his own golden armor that Madara had given him years ago. It brought a tiny smile on his lips...

"It always did suit me" he retorted, earning a grin from his eldest brother.

The King's gaze shifted towards Tobirama who was now talking with Tsunade. He couldn't help but look at his brother seriously...

"Be careful" warned Naruto,

Madara caught his brother's gaze and snorted.

"It would be a cold day in hell before _The Wild Dragon_ will be intimidated by the likes of him. Besides if he does try something, I'll crush his **_bloody skull!_** " said Madara darkly, a savage grin visible on his lips.

"I'm serious, brother" said Naruto with a frown,

"So are we"

Naruto blinked and found himself facing not just his former lover but also the likes of Tobi Shimura, Rei Namikaze, alongwith Ken and Kakashi Hatake: the two sons of Sakumo Hatake. All of them were brave and loyal Uchiha bannermen...

Watching them stand around Madara gave him the reassurance he desperately needed.

"See, I'm well protected" said Madara sarcastically,

Naruto ignored his brother and glanced at the people around him. His eyes were as cold as ice in order to make sure they understood his orders.

"Make sure no harms comes to him. From enemies and other parties..." commanded the King,

"Don't worry, my king. They all would have to go through me, my son Danzo, and every Shimura first before they can even touch our Hokage" promised Tobi fiercely, his intense eyes glaring at Tobirama.

"Can't let a _handsome_ man like that to be harmed" teased Rei Namikaze, much to Madara's surprise as she winked at him.

Naruto raised an eyebrow questioningly at his brother when he saw the faint blush on Madara's cheeks.

 _I guess even wild dragons can be tamed..._

"You saved our sister from the Yamanaka. We'll keep your brother safe, my king" promised Ken Hatake, earning a nod from his younger brother Kakashi as well.

Nodding respectfully towards Sakumo's sons, Naruto turned towards the last person of the group. Even now he couldn't help the stirring in his heart when he looked at her. But he had made a choice and he had to live with it, so he didn't let his inner turmoil be visible on his face.

"I am his sworn shield. I'll defend him with my life" promised Mikoto, as she gave him a strained smile.

"Thank you" he whispered,

They both stared at each other, their eyes not willing to part until a light cough from Madara brought them back to reality. It was then Naruto noticed that the other members of the group were awkwardly trying not to stare at him and Mikoto, was the tension that easy to see?

Thankfully, Madara knew just the right thing to break the ice.

"Farewell, _My King_ " said Madara teasingly, and even went forward to give a short bow but his playful mocking eyes made Naruto well aware of his brother's amusement. It was certainly not missed by the others as they chuckled at the antics of the Wild Dragon.

"You too, _Hokage_ " replied Naruto teasingly, with his own trademark smirk.

Both sons of Tajima stared at each other for a brief second before moving forward to embrace each other in a fierce hug. Naruto closed his eyes as he memorized this moment in his brain and he had a feeling Madara was doing the same. When they parted, they both whispered at the same time...

"May we meet again''

With one last smile, Naruto climbed atop Kurama as Madara and his comrades did the same with their horses. Sharing one last glance, both brothers galloped in the opposite directions never looking back.

* * *

"What the hell are you saying?" hissed Tsunade, her murderous gaze staring at her brother.

"Only what you cannot see, sister. I say it because I care about you..." insisted Tobirama calmly, but was disappointed when it enraged his only sister even more.

"I will do no such thing! Not only is it a sin but it will be a _betrayal!_ " said Tsunade furiously,

"It is no sin nor a betrayal if you do not allow your womb to give birth to a _dragon spawn_ " explained Tobirama patiently,

 **"No"**

Tobirama felt his patience waning in the face of the sheer stupidity of his family members. First his brothers and now his only sister were blind enough to trust an enemy they had fought against for thousands of years.

"All I'm asking is you to not allow him to make you with child. I understand Hashirama forced you into this, but it does not mean that you have to sacrifice so much" said Tobirama heatedly, making her sigh.

"It is true that Hashirama forced me into this marriage and initially I was opposed to it as well. But Naruto is a good man, brother. He cares for me if not love me, I will not betray him by killing whatever children we may have in the future just because you think we should not trust him. I can understand not trusting the Uchiha, but I want you to trust Naruto atleast. _For me..._ " pleaded Tsunade, taking his hands in her own and hoping to gods he understood her request.

Out of all her brothers, Tobirama had always watched out for her most. He could be overprotective and stubborn, but whenever she needed him he had always been there. The only reason this marriage had even happened was because when the decision was made, Tobirama was a prisoner of the Uchiha. She doubted Hashirama could have pulled this union off easily if Tobirama was there. Likely, he would have given Hashirama the most severe tongue lashing of his life and if he still persisted then Tobirama would have found some other way to make sure she didn't have to go through with this marriage. And she would have thanked her brother for it had she not come to know the kind of man Naruto was.

It was not ideal or the best, but she couldn't deny it was not a terrible match. Maybe in time they could hope to understand, trust and love each other...

Tobirama glanced at the King followed by few of his own supporters that were lingering nearby. What she was asking of him was a great deal, but after him Tsunade was the one in their family who hated the Uchiha most. She would not be blinded by emotions so easily, but if a person like her was vouching for the Kinslayer...

Had he been wrong in judging Naruto Uchiha?

He could not know for certain but he loved his sister, more than any of her other brothers ever did. If she was happy and hopeful...

" _Tobi, please_ " begged Tsunade, and smiled in relief when his hard gaze shattered and he gave out a tired sigh.

"I will **_never_** trust _The Kinslayer_ or the _Uchiha_. Not after what they did to my brother and our people, but if you are happy with him then I will let this go. But if he ever hurts you in any manner, I _will_ kill him and his entire family" promised Tobirama murderously, gripping her hands fiercely.

Tsunade felt a chill run down her spine as she felt and saw the raw hate in her brother's eyes. The only thing stopping him from rebelling against this alliance was his love for her and his devotion to Hashirama. For all his faults, Tobirama had always been a loyal member of their family and had followed Hashirama's orders without question. But she could understood this alliance with the Uchiha and her marriage were too much for him to accept, but he would if she asked him.

It was why she loved him despite all his faults.

He relaxed in her arms as she hugged him but his next words made her heart skip a beat...

"I have quite a few of my supporters in your camp. The moment you feel you are in danger from him or anyone else, go to them. They will protect you..." whispered Tobirama, and Tsunade saw nearly a dozen men in Naruto's army give her a subtle nod when she looked in their direction.

Her _brother's men_ , loyal only to him and not the King.

It troubled her and she was just about to protest when she caught Naruto and Mikoto staring at each other intensely. No words were exchanged between them but the look in their eyes was enough to make Tsunade feel betrayed. Her hands tightly gripped her brother's armor as she couldn't understand why this was happening after all the progress she and Naruto had made in their friendship?

 _He loves Mikoto and always would._

The traitorous voice in her head only seemed to break her heart even further until she remembered that Naruto had promised her that he would treat her as his lawful life and he would not cheat on her. She remembered how seriously he took his promises and the fact that he broke up with Mikoto to do his duty.

Duty.

Was that what she was to him? Was the kindness that he showed her just a way of him showing her pity?

Doubts started to plague her mind and she decided to stop them for now lest she go mad. Saying her goodbye to Tobirama, she mounted her own horse before joining beside her husband.

"Are you alright?" he asked, concern visible in his eyes as he glanced at the frown on her face.

"Yes" she answered monotonously, even if the true answer was buried deep within her heart.

 _I don't know..._

* * *

(One Week Later)

Madara walked through his army camp observing the soldiers and ninjas were sharpening their weapons. It would seem word had spread fast that their enemy had been spotted and would be upon them by tomorrow. However, Madara was pleased to see it had not affected the men's morale, certainly not after the good news they had received yesterday.

Sasuke Sarutobi had emerged victorious in his campaign and had crushed the former Daimyo's nephew and his army to the last man. The fact that the majority of the former royals perished on the battlefield was another bonus. But then again, victory was assured on that front as Sasuke had nearly 8000 men with him while his enemy had half with only a quarter being ninjas. In crude terms, it was pure slaughter and now the Sarutobi host was marching towards the Land of Wind but they would wait for Madara to join them first before carrying on the campaign.

That victory had been much needed to be heard about by the men in Madara's army as it gave them the strength to face their first battle of this war. Unlike the host Sasuke faced, Madara's foe was Isshin Minamoto. The old man was the former Daimyo's uncle and an experienced battle commander who had twice destroyed attempts by Land of Wind to conquer the Land of Fire. He was a stern but fair man and skilled with the sword, the fact that he was the last living male member of his family only made his fight for survival more dire. The men following Isshin were roughly 6000 loyalists with more than half being ninjas from all over the world who had benefited greatly under the Daimyo's rule. It was fair to say these men would be fighting desperately in the coming battle and with twice the passion Madara's force could ever muster. Even if Madara had 10,000 battle hardened ninjas with him it wouldn't hurt to not underestimate his enemy even if the old man was a civilian general.

What made him more worried was the news that Naruto and his 22,000 strong host had crossed the Land of Fire and were now on their way to face the army of the Samurai Nation led by Hanzo Salamander and Mifune of the Samurai who nearly had 40,000 men under their command with more than 15,000 of them being ninjas. Even if Naruto had good fighters like Hashirama and a Biju with him, Madara couldn't help but worry for his little brother. He could only pray that Naruto managed to achieve victory, because if the boy lost then the ninjas following him would start having doubts about his leadership. And a doubtful ninja was very dangerous for he could attack anyone perceived to be a threat.

His eyes glanced at the group of young ninjas following around him in a protective circle which brought a small smirk to his lips. He had got the idea for this group after watching his brother's Kinsguard and their exploits over the years, to say he had high hopes from his own five battle partners would be an understatement.

The leader of this group was Mikoto Uchiha, a former member of Naruto's Kinsguard. She was a very skilled fighter and had aptly demonstrated her skills against Madara long enough to earn the Hokage's respect. Combine that with her recommendation from the King, she soon found herself appointed **Commander** of Madara's _Personal Guard_.

The next member was Danzo Shimura, son of Tobi Shimura. The boy was young but extremely skilled in ninjutsu and taijutsu, he also had a keen sense of observation and cunning. Most of all, he distrusted Senjus which would be helpful as the boy would always watch out from any kind of treachery and warn Madara beforehand.

The next two members were both sons of Sakumo Hatake. He had been very impressed when Ken and Kakashi had displayed their swordsmanship to Madara. Ken was a gifted Taijutsu master and adapt with ninjutsu, while his brother was a master of every ninja art. The fact that Naruto saved their sister Kiara from the Yamanaka's clutches not too long ago only made the boys more determined to serve their King's brother.

The last member of the group was Shibi Aburame, son of Shin Aburame. Unlike the others, he was not a great but an average fighter. However, he was a skilled long range ninja and his spying skills were off the charts which Madara had not missed. Plus, Madara couldn't resist awarding the Aburame leader's son a chance to earn glory for himself after their clan's loyal service to Madara's family for years.

Madara couldn't help but notice that except for Mikoto who was a servant's daughter, all the other members of his guard were high born noble heirs of important clans loyal to the Uchiha. Many more nobles from other Uchiha loyalists also wanted their sons and daughters to join and serve the Hokage, but for now Madara was content with the group he had assembled. It was better if he had few warriors whom he could absolutely trust than have an army whom he couldn't.

He bid them to stand outside his tent and they obeyed without hesitation. When he entered, his good mood vanished as he saw a very familiar person waiting for him.

''Tobirama" said Madara simply, making the Senju look up from the map on Madara's table.

"Lord Hokage" replied the Senju, his unnervingly blank eyes seemingly boring into Madara's very soul.

It still vexed the eldest son of Tajima that his brother had sent him this man to act as his second in command instead of Hashirama. While it was true that Tobirama was more sensible than most ninja lords, it was also a fact that the man had always unnerved Madara. There was something about him that just didn't sit right with the new Hokage.

Regardless of that, they were allies now and it was important that they crush a common enemy.

"The men are ready" reported Tobirama briskly, cutting through any unwanted pleasantries much to Madara's relief.

"Good. We cannot allow Isshin Minamoto to achieve any victory here. How do you propose we deal with him?" asked Madara straightforwardly,

Tobirama blinked.

"What?'' snapped Madara irritatedly,

"I never thought someone like you would ask a _Senju_ for advice" answered Tobirama honestly, and was not surprised when Madara sighed.

"It's not my style but things aren't the same anymore. My brother made you second in command of this host, despite our enmity he sees _something_ in you, Tobirama. I want to see what that is..." revealed Madara sincerely,

"Why did you and your Father even agree to this peace? Gods know you two hate my family..." said Tobirama seriously, earning a snort from Madara.

"Somethings are more important than revenge and old feuds" whispered Madara,

"What is that thing?" questioned Tobirama curiously,

"Family"

Tobirama had to look away in order to not meet Madara's gaze. One look at the Hokage was enough to show he meant what he said which only confused Tobirama even more. How could an Uchiha even understand a concept like that?

Thankfully for him, Madara was not in a bad mood and decided to explain if only to not have this conversation again between them.

"I know you don't trust us Uchiha including my brother. Well, the feeling's mutual. I'm not asking you to trust me or become friends, but your sister and my brother are trying to build something. I don't know about you but I love my brother, and if he believes we can live with Senjus then I can bloody well give it a try atleast. Besides someone like you should understand how this peace is beneficial for your family as well. True that the future kings will have the Uchiha name, but they will have the _Senju blood_ in them as well" explained Madara honestly,

"I see" was all Tobirama said, before he focused back on the map.

His sister's plea for him to give this peace a chance passed through his heart. Hashirama and Itama had also wished for the same, Tobirama had seen it in their eyes. Whatever lingering hesitation he had was severely affected when someone like Madara expressed his own desire to give this peace a try.

Had he gone wrong somewhere? Would his actions actually place his family in harm's way?

He felt a stinging pain resonate across his head which nearly made him cringe. Thankfully, Madara was busy looking at the map and hadn't missed Tobirama's momentary discomfort.

 _No, don't trust the Uchiha. They killed your brother..._

The voice in his head whispered ever so treacherously and even more insistently than before. He looked at his right arm and from the slight parting in his shirt he could see the area near his shoulder was starting to change. Where once the skin was pale like the moon, now lay a darkened layer that only seemed to spread ever so slightly.

The Senju medic he had seen had warned him that it was unlike anything he had ever seen before. He had asked the man to keep this to himself but it was only getting worse every passing day and Tobirama was running out of time.

"Tobirama?"

He looked up to see Madara staring at him with a frown on his face.

"Yes?" asked the Senju, hoping his voice sounded the same as ever.

"You're sweating and your hand is trembling" commented Madara, and Tobirama cursed himself for letting the Uchiha see a weakness. It didn't matter that it was out of his control, Madara or as a matter of fact no one else should be allowed to discover it.

"Just nervous about this war..." said Tobirama hesitantly, to his relief Madara actually accepted the answer but then again it was partially the truth.

"Good. It'll keep you focused and alive on the battlefield. Now tell me your thoughts on the strategy we should take against Isshin?" asked Madara seriously,

Tobirama controlled his pain and the treacherous whispering in his head to look at the map and the enemy position.

He might not like the Uchiha, but his family wanted peace. It was a bitter pill to swallow, but if someone like Madara could come to terms with this peace...then he had to try...

 _For me, brother._

Tobirama violently silenced the whispers in his head as the face of his beloved sister flashed before his eyes. He had not missed how happy she was this morning and how she wanted to believe in Naruto. He might never like the Kinslayer, but he had a duty towards his only sister.

 _The Uchiha aren't the only one who value family above all else._

His trembling hands stopped shaking as he felt strength return back inside his body. His fierce cold eyes glanced at the map as a plan started forming in his head as the whispers faded away.

"Here's the plan..."

By the time he was done explaining his idea, Madara was grinning savagely and Tobirama couldn't help but share the feeling even if he remained composed on the outside. He would give **The Wild Dragon** a chance to prove himself regardless of what his allies believed or wanted.

 _He would do it for her and not anyone else!_

* * *

Tobirama stood at the outskirts of the Naka river with an army of 9000 men, all of them currently hiding in the forest just near the river. The sensor ninjas had already warned them of the approaching enemy and it had sent his forces in a frenzy to ready themselves.

He was more than surprised when Madara gave him command of their main force, the Hokage's reasoning being that Tobirama had the mindset to maintain order in the midst of battle while Madara was a leader who liked to tear through enemy lines with sheer force and unimaginable speed. When presented with an argument like that and how well it fit into their strategy, Tobirama had found no reason to deny Madara's idea. Certainly not when the Uchiha had actually agreed to go forward with Tobirama's battle strategy.

Tobirama felt the ground beneath his feet tremble and it was the first sign that something wasn't right. They had information that the enemy general had 6000 men under his command, with more than half of them being ninjas. But this was something different...

Quickly placing his finger on the ground he allowed his senses to span across the land far and wide.

"What's happening out there?" asked Tobi Shimura, as he and nearly everyone else felt the trembling of the ground beneath their feet. No small army could cause such shockwaves...

It was nightfall and the moon had been hidden behind dark clouds. Thin wasps of snow were falling from the heavens making the temperature even more cooler. Tobi Shimura narrowed his eyes when he saw Tobirama pale as he got up from the ground and look at their men.

"Our information was wrong" said the white haired Senju bitterly, as his fists clenched shut.

Before Tobi Shimura or any other commanders could ask the Senju another question, they were all silenced when they saw an endless wave emerging from the forests on the other side of the Naka river.

"Those crests..." whispered Hiro Inuzuka in alarm,

None of the other ninja lords missed what the dog-warrior was seeing with his own eyes. For there in front of them was an entire army of thousands and not all of them were civilian fighters. Majority of them bore the armor with emblems of a very feared and hated clan in the ninja world.

 _"Kaguya..."_

Tobirama grimaced on watching nearly 3000 Kaguya standing in front of him with all of them heavily armed and savage grins on their maniacal faces. But what caught his complete attention was one strange looking person standing at the front of this army.

Unlike the soldiers, he was dressed in shimmering blue armor with an emblem that Tobirama didn't recognize. His hair was long and reached upto his waist but it was pale like the snow and so were his eyes. He carried with him no sword or gunbai, but a spear shaped weapon that was also white.

Judging from the way the bloodthirsty Kaguya's were not attacking outright and actually deferring to this man for direction only made Tobirama guess the man was the commander and not Isshin Minamoto who was standing with the remaining few thousand of his civilian soldiers in the rear.

Fighting against civilians and minor ninja clans was one thing, but the Kaguya were an enemy on a completely different level. They didn't fear death and only enjoyed murdering till they were killed, they were the most ferocious clan in the world and even the Uchiha avoided provoking them openly. Even a small force of Kaguya's was dangerous for ninjas to face, battling against thousands of those monsters...

The King's army shivered when the Kaguya's in a uniform fashion started banging their swords against their armored chests while giving out a thunderous battlecry.

The roaring continued to get louder and more ferocious with every passing second and more than one ninja on Tobirama's side trembled as the terrifying sound penetrated each and every cell of their body.

It would have continued if not for a single kunai that flew rapidly through the air and in one strike severed the head of a Kaguya warrior from his neck. The roaring of the enemy army stopped as they watched the headless body fall gracelessly at the river bank.

Nearly half of the river started to rise up high and high in the air making the Kaguya warriors take a step back in alarm.

A lone warrior in Senju armor stepped out of the forest with a lightning cackling sword in his hand. His eyes were as cold as ice and his one hand was outstretched controlling the rising mass of water. When he looked at the men behind him, they all saw nothing but cold fury in his eyes.

 **"SEND THESE MAD ANIMALS TO HELL!"** roared Tobirama,

With that war cry he unleashed the amassed body of water right towards the enemy army. But before it could swarm the Kaguya's, that lone pale haired enemy commander walked forward fearlessly. Tobirama saw veins emerge around the man's eyes and his entire body glowed with pure blue chakra.

The strange warrior unleashed a tidal wave of pure chakra from his hands that clashed against the massive river water wave.

Steam and boiled weather flew across the riverbank making many across both armies dive for cover. With the initial attack neutralized, the pale skinned warrior gave out an unearthly battle cry and pointed his hand right at Tobirama.

At once, the Kaguya's charged.

Tobirama was rooted in his spot as he watched the unknown enemy commander freeze the entire Naka river allowing the Kaguya's to cross without any opposition. At the same time, a dark wave of arrows was unleashed from the rear by Isshin Minamoto and his civilian fighters.

Thousands of more battlecries joined the fray as dozens upon dozens of Uchiha charged ahead of Tobirama forming a protective formation around him.

 _"FIRE!"_ yelled one of the dragons,

Immediately all the Uchiha's unleashed their own volley of shuriken that soared high in the sky before it multiplied into an even large wave as the kunai were doubled thanks to the Uchiha's shurikenjutsu. With a mighty roar they clashed against the volley of arrows sending shattered metal pieces raining all over the river bank.

Despite the valiant effort, many of the lethal projectiles broke through the defense and several ninjas cried out in pain as they were sent crashing down.

While the Uchihas protected their leader, the Inuzuka had charged ahead ferociously with their battle dogs. Their clash against the approaching Kaguya's was heard by every man present as body parts and blood was sent flying everywhere.

Tobirama saw a large force of Kaguya charging towards him and the Uchihas around him.

"Combination!" he commanded, thankful that the past week had given them time to atleast familiarize their forces in working together. It was not perfect but at the very least they would not outright reject his commands.

 **"Fire Style: Fire Ball Jutsu!** ''

The Uchihas were joined by the Sarutobi warriors as they too unleashed nearly a hundred magnificent fire balls at the charging enemy. The enemy savages were not to be intimidated as hundreds of them retaliated in kind with similar attacks.

Dozens of men and women on both sides screamed in agony as the volley of fire balls started to be exchanged at a rapid pace even as a large force of Kaguya's clashed madly against the forces commanded by Tobi Shimura. To his credit, the Shimura leader was as vicious as the enemy and mercilessly started slaughtering every single one of his foes. The fearless persona inspired many others to join the fray against the Kaguya.

Tobirama grimaced when another volley of arrows was fired by the civilian fighters on the other side of the frozen river. What shocked him was the fact that this barrage rained down mercilessly killing Tobirama's fighters and Kaguya's both. However, for every Kaguya that died in the friendly fire, _three_ more of Tobirama's fighters went down.

He was alarmed when one of his civilian commanders was literally pulverized on the spot by the pale haired enemy commander. The Kaguya's on the left flank led by their commander was literally butchering every ninja that tried to stop them.

Tobirama gripped his sword as he saw his Uchiha allies were pre-occupied fighting against the ferocious Kaguya's around them. How could you stop an enemy that didn't even bat an eye when you severed their limbs, killed their fellow comrades?

The Kaguya's were not just madly ferocious but unlike the allied ninjas who felt pain when they were injured, the mad bastards continued slaughtering and killing everyone around them without pause. For every Kaguya that was falling, three of Tobirama's men were the price.

The continued barrage of arrows from the civilian forces on the other side only continued to add more casualties.

That was when he saw the first silhouettes in the sky,

Tobirama couldn't help the savage grin from gracing his own lips as he saw an _army of eagles_ emerge from the nearby mountain. On top of those birds was a figure whose power was felt by every fighter on the battlefield.

 **"BURN THEM ALL!"** yelled Madara furiously,

Rei Namikaze who was commanding the newly formed _Aerial Corps_ gestured her clan's summoning creatures to follow through the order. Mounted on top of the beasts were the most elite fighters of their army who were now all positioned exactly above the civilian army of Isshin Minamoto.

 **"Fire Style: Raging Inferno!"**

Madara was joined by nearly a thousand of his elite forces who all unleashed the same attack from their mouths. Isshin Minamoto could only give out a terrible scream as he and his entire force were literally set on fire alongwith half of the forest on their side. Men screamed in horror and agony as they were burned alive, their skin gelding against their melting armor. Everywhere there was fire and death with no route of escape.

The Hokage unleashed his gunbai in a wide arc making the raging inferno spread across the entire forest consuming every living soul on the cursed land.

Even the mad Kaguya's faltered for a moment when in front of their very eyes, half of their allies were burned alive.

By the time the horror was over, the last of the Daimyo loyalists were nothing but ash...

Madara jumped from his bird and was soon joined by most of his 1000 elite ninjas who all now formed a single line right behind the Kaguya's.

Rei Namikaze and her clansmen still mounted on the eagle squadrons unleashed a devastating volley of explosives shredding the rear ranks of the Kaguya's. However, for the blonde ninja leader her surprise attack was disrupted when she saw a pure beam of chakra being unleashed from the ground.

It tore through the eagle carrying the Namikaze leader sending her and the few men with her flying away. Before the allied ninjas could even get over the shock, dozens of more such beams were unleashed striking several more eagles sending more and more Namikaze fighters to their deaths.

Madara gripped his gunbai fiercely and raised it in the air. His sharingan was focused on the falling form of Rei Namikaze, judging from her still form he could only guess she was injured badly and lost consciousness. _Or worse..._

Regardless of the dire scenario, he threw his famed weapon watching it sail through the air. Many ninjas on both side gasped as the hilt of the gunbai connected with Rei's shoulder and carried her straight towards the bark of a tree where she got stuck thanks to the gunbai lodged in her shoulder. The sound of broken bones was clear to hear but at the very least her brains were not splattered across the battlefield like the rest of her clansmen who were not so fortunate to gather Madara's attention.

The Hokage grimaced as he realized that one of his best commanders could possibly be dead. Rei had served his family faithfully and watching her get attacked like that ignited a murderous rage within Madara as he glared at the pale haired enemy commander who did this to her.

 **"No prisoners!"** yelled Madara viciously,

Madara unleashed his sword and made a straight line directly towards the one who hurt his friend and allies. A dark smirk graced his lips as the enemy commander calmly walked forward as his Kaguya soldiers broke into two groups. One still battling against Tobirama's forces, the remaining smaller force began their attempts to stop Madara's elite forces.

The two armies again clashed in devastating shockwave sending limbs, heads and blood flying everywhere.

It was a savage massacre...

Rage was the only thing running through Madara as he beheaded two Kaguya's stupid enough to charge him. He gave a vicious roundhouse kick sending another dozen flying away. Blocking a horizontal slash from another enemy, he pushed the man back several inches through sheer force before his finely crafted sword broke through the enemy's weapon and buried itself in the shocked Kaguya's neck.

For all their savagery and ferocity, the Kaguya's felt the superior anger of _The Wild Dragon_ rain down on them mercilessly.

Madara glanced at his sides to see his personal guard make a butchery of any enemy that tried to swarm him. Leading the charge was Mikoto herself and her sword was making a carving out of corpses. Joining her were the Hatake brothers and Danzo, while Shibi Aburame harassed nearby Kaguya warriors through his swarms of bugs.

He was brought out of his thoughts when he heard Danzo scream, looking forward Madara realized why...

Through the fighting, Tobi Shimura had managed to find a way to reach the enemy commander. The Shimura leader was swift and precise in his strikes but his enemy was easily evading the attacks as if he was fighting a child. The dance didn't continue long as the enemy commander made a horizontal slash with his strange weapon and it shattered Tobi's sword like it was made of glass. Many of the nearby Shimura warriors desperately jumped in to save their leader only to see a blur move around them.

The enemy commander started rotating sending large shockwaves of chakra that hit the Shimura warriors brutally. Madara cringed when he literally heard necks snap, heads burst and limbs fly as every Shimura was thrown away. Suddenly the circle of death was stopped and from its midst the enemy commander emerged to launch a brutal strike that connected with Tobi's shoulder making the man wildly flip in the air before crashing with a bone crushing thud.

The fall must have hurt the Shimura badly as he weakly moved on the ground trying to find his lost sword as his enemy moved in for the final kill but was forced to jump away when bolts of lightning rained around the position he was standing a moment ago.

Tobirama stepped between the enemy commander with his lightning sword in his hand as several Aburame dragged the Shimura clan head away from the battlefield. Madara was quick to join the Senju as they both now glared at the enemy commander who stared at them without a flinch.

"That's a _dojutsu_..." warned Madara, gesturing towards the enemy's pale white eyes.

"I figured as much. The fact that not a single strike has managed to hit him makes me believe it allows him to see in all directions..." suggested Tobirama,

"Never thought I'd face someone like that, certainly not with a Senju by my side..." said Madara with a smirk,

"How about facing a common enemy with an ally?" asked Tobirama with a small grin, earning a tiny nod of respect from Madara.

"I could live with that" agreed Madara,

"Together?'' asked Tobirama finally,

 _"Let's dance, Senju!"_

Madara charged forward swiftly with Tobirama right by his side. The enemy commander flexed his stance as the two arch rivals closed in on him. When Madara tried to attack the man's legs with his sword, he was shocked to see his sword shatter to pieces when the spear shaped weapon of the enemy blocked the move. The same weapon was instantly raised upward to skewer the stunned dragon until the attack was blocked by Tobirama's lightning sword.

For the first time an emotion akin to shock passed through the pale eyed enemy commander and he howled in agony when Tobirama sent lightning coursing through the locked weapons hitting the man with several lightning sparks. Madara taking advantage of the opening moved to subdue the enemy but was forced to battle several Kaguya's who madly jumped in between to protect their leader.

They soon found out they had jumped to their _doom_.

Madara grabbed the punch of the first opponent and twisted the limb before punching his chakra coated arm right through the shocked Kaguya's armor. Before the dead man could even hit the ground, the Uchiha leader had already grabbed another Kaguya, slapped an explosive seal on his chest before throwing him at his comrades ending them all in vicious explosion.

Tobirama also moved forward slicing through Kaguya's left and right, his lightning sword _Raijin no Ken_ carving through their armor like butter. So engrossed was he in his battle that he didn't see the surprise attack.

Madara watched Tobirama howl in pain when the pale eyed enemy commander emerged again only to land a swift strike to Tobirama's sword arm. The lightning sword fell to the ground as Tobirama's entire arm went limp and the Senju felt another palm strike heading towards his chest. Considering the fact that he just lost all feeling in his right arm made him brutally aware that if that blow landed, he was as good as dead. With his last reflexes he dodged the lethal blow, however it still connected with his leg making him fall to his knees To his relief, Madara picked up _Raijin no Ken_ and sent a lightning shockwave that was blocked at the last moment by the enemy commander as he performed his lethal rotation technique.

The Hokage saw with his sharingan that the chakra nodes in Tobirama's right arm were blocked and damaged. Same was the case with his leg which made him glare hatefully at the enemy commander who looked at them calmly.

 **"You cannot avoid fate"** whispered the strange man for the first time,

"Who are you?" demanded Madara, receiving a pitying look from the strange man.

However, the man was surprised when he watched Tobirama actually stand back on his feet with great pain.

 **"Impossible..."**

 _ **"You bloody worm! I will end you right here!"**_ warned Tobirama murderously, as he unleashed his entire killing intent making dozens of Kaguya's fall to their knees.

The enemy commander frowned and gritted his teeth on seeing the endless rage in Tobirama's eyes. Despite his wounds, the Senju was standing defiantly. Even Madara was stunned at the display of power...

 _Theirs is the fury._

The Hokage wordlessly handed over the Senju his sword and an unsaid message was exchanged among them. Both men lost track of the fighting around them and soon enough Madara unleashed his entire killing intent making every fighter tremble as the combined rage of Uchiha and Senju spread across the battlefield.

Madara charged forward getting close to the enemy commander and sent a strike towards his solar plexus. The pale eyed bastard saw the move coming and sent his own left palm but before it could connect with Madara's arm, the Uchiha twisted himself out of the way and sent a swift kick aimed at the enemy's ribs which was unfortunately blocked by the opponent through one of his own legs.

 _He's strong._

Madara was forced to go on the defensive when his enemy closed in on him sending a flurry of palm strikes at maddening speeds. If not for his sharingan, Madara would have been reduced to a pinch cushion but thankfully he had his famed dojutsu that allowed him to see the attacks coming and with years of battle experience, he was able to dodge the attacks at the last second.

Even as he fought for his life, from the corner of his eyes he saw Tobirama give him a subtle nod.

Deciding to trust the Senju on this gamble, Madara swiftly deactivated his sharingan and closed his eyes before jumping away.

 **"Lightning Style: Heavenly Flash!"**

Tobirama's entire body was submerged in a nova of white lightning that soon exploded across the entire battlefield rendering every fighter blind. Many screamed but one yell was most painful than any other...

When Madara opened his eyes again, he saw the enemy commander howling in agony trying to shield his bleeding eyes.

He grabbed the holy sword that Tobirama threw at him before flashing right behind the stunned enemy commander.

 _Raijin no Ken_ sliced through the man's armor before plunging into his chest. The strange man screamed in horror and unbearable pain whirling around to deliver a brutal palm strike to Madara's armored chest sending the Uchiha crashing away. Whirling unstably he started marching towards Madara blindly as men started to back away after already seeing what the warrior was capable off. Madara coughed blood but painfully managed to get back on his feet and prepared himself for another fight, only to see Tobirama flash behind the stunned enemy and grabbing the plunged sword. _Raijin_ _no Ken_ emancipated another blinding nova of light rendering most fighters to cover their eyes. But they all heard the inhuman scream and when they finally managed to regain their vision, the Kaguya's were stunned to watch their commander dissolve into ash. Tobirama coughed blood and fell to his knees, the effects of the fight taking a toll on his body.

With great struggle he grabbed a kunai with his only functioning hand to fend off the pissed off Kaguya's closing in on him. To his surprise, Madara again came to his rescue and again Tobirama was reminded of the fact that crossing Madara Uchiha was a _bad idea_.

With their commander lost, the Kaguya's lost all sense of co-ordination and started attacking anything and anyone. Madara's personal guard stepped deeper into the battle and rallied the scattered allied ninjas. Long minutes of savagery and killing passed but soon enough the Kaguya's were cornered with allied ninjas surrounding them on all sides.

Tori Yamanaka was smart enough to trap the ferocious warriors in a barrier.

Madara stared at the remaining 900 enemy ninjas that were desperately trying to break through. Never once did he see in their eyes the desire to surrender which made him arrive at his decision.

He gestured to Tori Yamanaka who nodded in consent cementing Madara's resolve. With a dark grin, he looked at his clansmen.

"Uchihas, give them _Fire and Blood_ " commanded Madara, and watched in satisfaction as his clansmen stepped all over the barrier's edges.

If the Kaguya's had any brain cell in their heads they would have formed a defense formation and fought as one which could have given them a chance of survival a little longer. However, when the barrier dropped the savage warriors tried to charge out only to hear the last words of their life.

 **"Fire Style: Pits of Hell!"**

The Uchihas unleashed a tsunami of fire from their mouths that formed a raging inferno trapping the Kaguya warriors. Many tried to jump over but were cut down by precise kunai strikes of Sarutobi and Shimura ninjas. Slowly the inferno started to close in burning many Kaguya's in its path, yet the allied ninjas were again to be shocked.

Stepping over the piling mass of corpses, the last of the Kaguya's used the chance to jump over the inferno and try to take out as many enemies. Many exploded themselves with the help of explosive tags taking out dozens of Madara's ninjas in a flash. Few even tried to take out the Hokage but were mercilessly cut down by Madara's personal guard.

The inferno had trapped the last few hundred Kaguya so thoroughly that now there was no chance of escape. Still there was defiance and never ending bloodlust burning in their mad eyes...

Instead of begging for mercy they huddled closer to each other and grasped their hands. Many allied ninjas including Madara took this as a last act of their enemies choosing to die together.

Tobirama however felt the disaster that was coming...

 _"MADARA! SEAL THEM OFF NOW-"_

The Senju couldn't finish his warning as he was sent flying away courtesy of an explosion akin to a _Miniature Bijudama_ that erupted from the middle of the inferno.

Everything went silent.

After what felt like an eternity, Tobirama groggily regained the first of his senses. His head was throbbing, many of his muscles were screaming in agony and he definitely felt his leg was broken. When he first tried to open his eyes, all he saw were dark blurs but he didn't give up. After several failed attempts, he finally managed to look at the sky only to see it covered in dark smoke.

Rubbing his eyes, he managed to make himself sit upright and gingerly raised his only functioning hand to see something land on his palm. His breath stopped when he realized it was not the dark smoke that he had seen in the sky, but...

 _Ashes..._

Horrified and alarmed, Tobirama wildly glanced around only to see a massive crater now present on their side of the riverbank. It was atleast thirty feet long and another fifty in depth.

It was then Tobirama heard the moans and screams. He felt something inside of him snap when he saw thousands of allied ninjas lying all over the battlefield. Half of them were so badly burnt or had parts missing that they were not even recognizable. Those who had survived soon discovered death would have been better as many were missing limbs, eyes, and many other vital body parts.

Tobirama heard another blood curling scream and saw Kakashi Hatake being desperately held back by Danzo and Mikoto. The reason for the boy's grief made bile rise in Tobirama's throat...

In order to save their sworn leader, Ken Hatake had valiantly placed himself between Madara and the suicidal _chakra explosion_ unleashed by the Kaguya's as their final act of vengeance. In doing so, the now heavily bleeding Hokage was saved and so were Ken's comrades...

But...

Despite being a veteran of hundreds of battles, Tobirama had never seen a sight that he was seeing tonight and one which made him vomit the last of his meal on the ground.

For in front of him where once stood the eldest son and heir of Sakumo Hatake was a badly burnt skeleton that was still standing in a self sacrificing manner between himself and Madara. Every inch of skin, flesh, clothes and armor had been vaporized leaving only a husk behind.

A husk which soon turned to ash making any trace of Ken Hatake disappear from the world forever.

Tobirama felt his resolve break as he saw nearly a _quarter_ of their army was utterly wiped out. Another large contingent of ninjas were so badly wounded that he doubted they would ever be able to fight again. Those that had managed to survive this devastating battle were numb with shock, horror and pain at what they just went through.

As the last of his strength faded away and darkness circled his vision, Tobirama fell to the ground once again...

His mind was so numb and his heart was still unable to believe what he just witnessed. As the last of his vision faded away...

 _He saw four figures with pale white eyes watching them from the forest across the other side of the riverbank..._


	26. The Choice

**Thank you for the support. Hope you continue it.**

 **Chapter 26**

 **The Choice**

* * *

(Two Weeks Earlier)

Mito Uzumaki had a radiant smile on her face and she was one of thousands cheering wildly as they watched the whirlpool banner of their clan being unfurled on top of the city hall. Her eyes shed out a single tear as she watched a young man of twenty four years of age smile as he placed the flag claiming the lost city back for their people.

Just like the rest of her clan, the man had bright red hair with one long bang covering his right eye but it only made him look more mysterious. His blue eyes were shining with pride and confidence, something which their people desperately needed to achieve this victory after nearly three months of brutal fighting and constant defeats.

Her heart ached for her youngest brother who was one of the many who were not here to see this day. Her only solace was the fact that her eldest and only surviving brother, heir of Uzu, and future leader of the Uzumaki had given them the victory they needed.

Nagato Uzumaki had always been more wild and brave than his sister and brother. It was his steadfast leadership that gave the Uzumaki the courage to face an enemy that wanted them killed to the last man. Even when his youngest brother Nahiro was killed and their people suffered another defeat, Nagato Uzumaki did not give up and continued fighting which inspired the Uzumaki to do the same despite all the odds against them.

Until yesterday, out of their seven great islands they had lost all except their capital of Uzushiogakure.

Their small villages were lost, their cities burned, their people died by the thousands.

Uzu's existence as a nation itself was at the verge of extinction. Their economy was shattered, a large part of their population was dead, food was getting scarce but most of all there was no sign of anyone coming to their aid. The only reason they had even survived this long was the fact that the Uzumaki had close to 25,000 ninjas and civilian fighters in their ranks.

Now barely half of those ninjas were still alive...

Still, Mito could not help but be proud of her eldest brother who reclaimed this island and pushed out the abominations holding this holy city.

 _A city she had lost..._

Her defeat was not because of her cowardice but for the fact that she barely had _one tenth_ of the men their enemy brought with them. She tried to buy as much time and resist for as long as she could, but when all seemed lost instead of sacrificing precious fighting men she ordered a retreat to their Capital city if only to regain their strength.

The plan worked and soon enough her eldest brother mustered their forces and led the assault that gave them this victory. It wouldn't have been possible had she sacrificed the 1000 men under her command needlessly.

Still, the men had rallied and fought valiantly when they saw the future heir of their clan lead the assault.

 **"NAGATO!"**

 **"NAGATO!"**

 **"NAGATO!"**

Mito laughed on seeing their clan warriors yelling her brother's name at the top of their lungs. Nagato gave a winning smile as he held the flying Uzumaki banner in his hand...

"This city was once the holy land of our people. A place of worship, faith and devotion. And from today it shall be great once again!" declared Nagato proudly, and was deafened by the approving roars.

"Let those monsters know this! Never shall any Uzumaki bend to their will!" promised Nagato, to another round of cheers.

"Here I declare, the city of Hirashiman reclaimed!"

Nagato unleashed his sword and Mito could not help but feel hope surge in her own heart as her brother raised his sword victoriously in the air.

 _"FOR UZU!"_

Mito and everyone of her clansmen could not resist unleashing their own swords in cheers and yell at the top of their lungs.

 **"FOR UZU!"**

 _"FOR UZU!"_

 **"FOR UZU!"**

 _"FOR UZU!"_

 **"FOR UZU!"**

* * *

Mito waited as her brother made his way through their clansmen. For the first time in months, their people were smiling and cheering. There was a faint shimmer of hope in their eyes as they congratulated and cheered their future clan leader.

 _The men have found their Captain._

Pride surged through her as he came towards her and wordlessly they both embraced each other.

"Quite the speech..." teased Mito, earning an infectious grin from her brother.

"Remember today, little sister. Today is the first of our victories with many more to come..." boasted Nagato,

Mito looked at him and could not help but want to believe in him. She knew as long as their people had Nagato to lead them, there was still hope. Her brother was a fine ninja adept in ninjutsu, kenjutsu, fuinjutsu and taijutsu. Traits keenly desired among their clan leaders...

Mito on the other hand was someone who preferred diplomacy over battle. That was not to say she could not defend herself or their people, she was the finest Fuinjutsu master of their nation after her father. Even so, she knew that perhaps she would not have been able to take this city back from the enemy unlike Nagato.

She had tried her best to hold it for as long as possible but when her youngest brother Nahiro was killed, she realized the battle was lost and she had to consolidate her forces.

Her attention returned back to reality when she noticed their people already breaking barrels of sake and food. It would seem the party was about to start and knowing her people, it was going to be quite a wild night.

"They deserve it" advised Nagato, and she could not find any reason to object.

Her gaze caught sight of a very familiar man approaching towards them both. The crowd instantly parted with each person bowing and offering a respectful greeting to the man. Not that he deserved any less for Ayato Uzumaki was a feared and respected leader.

" _There he is!_ Uzu's finest, my son and heir" said Ayato proudly, as he approached towards Nagato with a beaming smile on his wrinkled face. Despite his old age, his red hair had not lost their shine and he could still be a force on the battlefield. Nagato might be a good leader but it was Ayato's firm command that prevented any of their people from breaking down or doing something foolish.

Nagato gave a strained smile as he saw his father approaching. His relationship with the man was complicated at best, granted Ayato had provided for his children and governed their nation excellently. However, the same man had barely paid any attention or even showed interest in the upbringing of his younger children and focused all his attention on Nagato's development into the leader their people would need when Ayato was gone. Some might believe it to be right, but Nagato had watched his younger siblings struggle desperately for this man's approval only to be mocked at worst and told to do better at best. His brother died trying to hold this city knowing how disappointed their father would be if it was lost. Thankfully, Mito had enough sense to not order her remaining fighters to die needlessly and came back to their nation's capital. It allowed Nagato to muster his forces and in a surprise attack they took the city back. He remembered how severely their father had lambasted Mito, he blamed her for not only losing their holy city but also for the death of Nahiro.

Nagato had never forgotten or forgiven his father for the tears that Mito had shed after hearing such cruelty.

If only their mother was not killed by the mountain clans...

Still, they were in public and it was best if their people didn't see any friction in their leadership. Nagato hugged his father and even if he didn't like the man very much, Ayato was extremely proud of him. It could even be said his father loved him more than he ever loved Mito or Nahiro...

"The men say you were a force on the battlefield. That you single handedly trapped those bastards..." said Ayato proudly,

"Mito was the one who erected barriers across the city and cut off the enemy reinforcements. I was able to achieve this victory because of her, Father" pointed Nagato, his fists clenched when the old man glanced at his daughter with a grim look.

"Atleast you did something right for once, daughter. But if not for you, this city would never have been lost. I was reluctant to give you command but when Nagato insisted, I could not resist. I commanded you to hold this city to death, yet you abandoned it and got your brother killed" said Ayato disappointedly,

"I tried, Father. I can never forgive myself for not being able to save my brother, but I will not apologize for trying to save the lives of our people against certain death" replied Mito sadly, but her firm gaze was enough to make the old man see her thoughts clearly.

"You're _too soft_ , Mito" scolded Ayato with a heavy frown,

"Father..." warned Nagato, making Ayato realize that many of their people had stopped their festivities and were now trying to see what was the problem between their lord's family.

Ayato sighed before looking at his brave son with a determined look in his eyes. Reluctantly, he had to gesture Mito to follow after him as Nagato did the same. Ayato took his children towards one of the broken watch towers and when he was certain they were alone, he looked at the ruin that was Hirashiman.

"We need to get back our remaining islands. We need to push the enemy out of our nation now that we have fate on our side. The men are in good spirits and they have you, Nagato, I want you to recapture _Naga Island_ next" commanded Ayato seriously,

For all their differences, Mito knew her brother shared their father's feelings when it came to their strategy to survive this invasion. But before Nagato could reply to that order, she coughed lightly making both men look at her.

"What is it, Mito?" asked Ayato impatiently,

She hid her own sadness on not being even given a proper chance to speak her thoughts. The only reason she was even allowed this luxury was because of Nagato's presence and the last thing Ayato wanted was to offend his _prized son_. All her life, she had only been a daughter to her father. Someone whom he could use for their clan's benefit...nothing more.

And she had accepted her fate.

 _Family. Duty. Honor._

Those were their family's words and Mito had tried her best to live her life on the basis of those principles.

"Father, you have seen their numbers. You have seen what those monsters are capable off, we cannot afford to lose more men in retaking our lost islands. Cities can be rebuilt, what we need to do is consolidate our forces on Uzu and Hirashiman. We hold them here" suggested Mito, earning a scoff from her father.

"So you suggest allowing a foreign enemy to _rape_ and _pillage_ our nation? Uzu is well defended, no army has _ever_ broken through our barriers. Hirashiman shall also have a decent garrison to hold it against any further incursions, but the majority of our forces lead by your brother will take back our lost islands. I know what my country needs and Nagato knows our lands better than those monsters, your brother has never disappointed me before. I cannot say the same for _you_ " replied Ayato harshly, and didn't miss Nagato flinch while Mito took in a deep breath.

"Then we are _doomed_ , Father. We cannot win this war much less survive it. Those monsters are not interested in our cities, wealth or hidden jutsu. They want to **kill us all...** " warned Mito,

She bristled when Ayato slammed his fist against the wall and the sheer ferocity in his eyes made her gulp nervously.

"If we are to die, then we shall do so _defending_ our nation. Every last Uzumaki man, woman and child will fight tooth and nail and before our end comes, we'll make those bastards pay dearly in blood!" promised Ayato bitterly,

"Maybe we should again send messages for aid. If it could save our people, Father" proposed Nagato, earning a tired sigh from the Uzumaki leader.

"And who will answer our call for aid? _Senjus? Fire Daimyo?_ No, my son...our allies have forsaken us. The old alliances between Senju and Uzumaki are no more. **We are all alone** " whispered Ayato gravely,

Mito could not deny that her father was right in this matter atleast. Words couldn't describe how disappointed and shocked the Uzumaki were when all their calls for aid went unanswered. Neither Hashirama or the Fire Daimyo sent help, they didn't even send a message. Granted, there was a civil war going on at that time in the Land of Fire...but still, in their time of need their allies had deserted them.

But her people couldn't survive anymore without aid. In her desperation, she could only see one way...

"The Dragon King shall answer"

The incredulous look she received from her father and brother made her nearly want to grimace but she held her ground. They might think her insane for even suggesting getting aid from an Uchiha, but the bitter truth was the fact that Naruto Uchiha had the power to save the Uzumaki.

" **Dragon King?** You're proposing getting aid from a damn _UCHIHA?_ " asked Nagato in disbelief,

"I've heard a few things about this boy-king. They say he is just and loyal. _But where was King Naruto when the enemy invaded our nation? Where was King Naruto when our people were butchered by the thousands? Where was King Naruto when my son-"_

Ayato stopped himself when he noticed the sadness in the eyes of his children as they were reminded of their lost brother. They both were young and it was why they didn't understand the way shinobi were in reality.

"Let her go to him"

Both Mito and Ayato blinked on hearing what Nagato just suggested.

"What?" asked Ayato in surprise, he certainly had not expected such madness from his son.

"I've received intel that King Naruto marches with a large army to fight against the Samurai Nation. Mito knows diplomacy better than either of us, Father. If she can convince him to come to our aid, it could save the lives of many of our people" explained Nagato honestly,

" _Her?_ " questioned Ayato skeptically,

"Yes" said Nagato firmly, staring right into his Father's eyes making the old man sigh again.

"What makes you think he'll come to our aid? Even if he does, it won't be for free" said Ayato bitterly,

"I don't know, Father. It is very likely he'll ask us to bend the knee and accept his rule. He sent us an offer before and you rejected it. But back then we had a huge army, now half of those warriors are gone and we are surrounded. We need help" suggested Mito honestly,

"Lose our independence? Are you out of your mind?" yelled Ayato furiously,

"It is better than being dead, Father. Or worse..." whispered Nagato reluctantly,

"Even if we miraculously survive this war, it is very likely the mountain clans will try to take advantage of our weakness. We have lost many good fighters, our cities and islands are in ruin, our supplies are low. Isolation is no longer possible...we have to join the King if we wish for the Uzumaki to have a safe future" insisted Mito passionately,

All she had were good words about the new King and it was true she was blindly hoping for many impossible things.

But hope was all she had left...

Even a stubborn man like Ayato could see the harsh reality that awaited their people. For all his pride, Ayato was not a foolish man.

"I have no hope in this matter but do what you can, Mito. Your brother seems to trust you despite all your failures...try not to fail your last brother" whispered Ayato bitterly, before he walked away.

Nagato embraced his sister as soon as their father was out of sight. He felt her shudder in his arms and knew very well how much she loved that man despite his cruelty and negligence.

 _"Stay strong, little sister. For our people..."_

* * *

Mito stared at the retreating form of her homeland from her ship. She waved a final goodbye to her brother and he returned the gesture. She could not see his face clearly from the distance but in her heart she knew as long as Nagato lived, Uzu would never fall.

However, it didn't change the fact that their people needed help desperately and she was now responsible for getting them that aid. No matter the cost.

All she had with herself were a handful of warriors that would serve as her guard, but if the Dragon King wanted her taken hostage then he could do so very easily. Yet she had hope in her heart, few of their people who had returned from the mainlands to defend their nation had nothing but praise for the new King.

He was young but fair and honorable. Most of all he had the strongest Biju of the world serving him...

She could only imagine the power of that beast on the battlefield. It might just be enough to save her people...

Mito didn't know how she would be able to convince Naruto Uchiha to set aside his own war to fight hers.

But if she didn't succeed, then this might very well be the last time she saw her homeland and dear brother.

* * *

(Present Day)

Tsunade was awakened when she heard a strangled gasp from her side. She was surprised when she saw her husband was wide awake in their bed. His eyes were wide and utterly terrified, his bare chest sporting several beads of sweat and his forehead was the same. She gently touched his cheek and looked compassionately at him.

"Another one?" she asked,

He wordlessly nodded and didn't resist when she stroked his hair affectionately.

"What did you see this time?" she asked gently,

"Many things. Horrible things...a three headed dragon, a sea of darkness, a woman with eyes as pale as snow, a man who looked like an older version of myself only with dark black hair...and a child born in fire and blood" he whispered worriedly,

She raised her eyebrow at the last revelation because it was not something he had ever dreamed of before. His other visions were jaded and utterly confusing to say the least. She was inclined to dismiss his dreams as after effects of lack of sleep due to the hectic march but she had been there when Naruto revealed his dreams to his Biju friend.

Never had she seen a monster like the Kyuubi pale and be rendered speechless like that.

If these dreams unnerved someone inhuman and monstrous like the fox, then it worried her too because somehow they all came back to her husband. Even her own insecurities regarding him and Mikoto felt shallow in comparison to what trouble plagued Naruto and she tried her best to be there for him.

He still looked lost in his thoughts making her place a soft kiss on his lips. His eyes found hers but she didn't look away. It had taken her a while but she soon discovered that with him words were not necessary to offer comfort or even seek it. A strange phenomenon but not one she couldn't help but like.

Knowing that they were going to face a great battle only seemed to bring them closer together and she was glad for it as it helped reassure her doubts. Shisui had even suggested that a part of Naruto would always love Mikoto, she had been surprised that the boy even knew what was going on between his two friends but he had simply smiled and said those two had not been as discrete as they imagined. But the new commander of the Kingsguard, an elite force of 7000 warriors, had also suggested that a part of Naruto's heart was warming upto Tsunade. It had given her hope...

Naruto watched her as she was lost in her own thoughts. As time passed she had defied his doubts and tried her best to be there for him and support him. Tsunade didn't call him a lunatic when he revealed his dark dreams to her, considering the madness Uchiha were prone to develop, she had taken this turn in his life far better than he had ever expected. He knew she didn't understand what was happening to him despite her dearest wish to do so, yet that was enough to make him see that she was someone whom he could trust fully.

With everything.

"Tsunade" he called her gently, making her look at him curiously.

"What is it?" she asked, and didn't miss the nervousness in his eyes.

"The men found a hot spring in a cave deep within the forest. Considering that we might not get such leisure time in the future, I was thinking-"

"I would love to go. Just the two of us" she requested with a beaming smile, eliciting a faint smile on his own lips.

"As My Queen wishes" he replied happily,

Giving her one last kiss on the lips, he was about to leave the bed when she grasped his wrist making him stare back at her. She was biting her lip which was a clear sign that either she was nervous or wanted to say something that she didn't think would be to his liking. He gently squeezed her hand making her sigh in relief and look at him gratefully...

"I know our marriage was not what either of us planned for or expected. But the time that we have spent together has atleast made one thing clear to me. _I don't regret it_ " she confessed, honesty and sincerity clearly visible in her dazzling hazel orbs.

If he had not developed the ability to control his emotions he might have shed a joyful tear on hearing those precious words from her. But since he couldn't do that, he decided to confess something that he had also realized as he spent more time with her.

"I know sometimes I am distant from you, it was because I didn't know how you'd react to the way I live or my actions and past. But you proved me wrong and there is no doubt remaining in my heart now. _I trust you_ " he confessed,

Her eyes widened on hearing him say that, Naruto was not someone who would say anything lightly or on a whim. Most of his actions were always well thought out and came from the heart. She was about to speak when he cut her off...

"There is something that I have kept from you. Something that I couldn't trust you with before..." he confessed, guilt and shame clearly visible on his face.

"And you trust me with it now?" asked Tsunade, unable to hide her slight disappointment over his deception.

"I don't regret what I did and it was never my intention to hurt anyone with my actions, especially you. I want you to know that" he insisted, looking right into her eyes and she knew he was yet again speaking from his heart.

"And you want to tell me this secret in that cave, don't you?" asked Tsunade knowingly,

He was surprised by how quickly she realized his plan but then again she had great wits apart from her beauty. If she realized this much, then he knew that she understood why he was choosing to reveal his greatest secret to her in an isolated cave rather than in the midst of their army camp surrounded by thousands of soldiers and ninja lords.

Yet he still had hope for instead of lashing out at him for keeping any secret from her, Tsunade was trying to be patient and understanding. Shisui might have had a hand in that considering he was the one who was making the queen familiar with the Uchiha way of life and introducing little bits of Naruto's past which she didn't know about.

For that he was grateful both to his friend and his wife.

"Yes" he said honestly,

She was silent for a moment and he could not miss the doubts and fear in her eyes. Yet she pushed those negative emotions back and looked back at him seriously.

"Very well"

* * *

Whoever considered Naruto to be a less cunning man had surely never experienced how skillfully the King could make them dance to his whims.

Tsunade could not help but agree with that thought process as she contently sat in the beautiful and relaxing hot springs. There was bare minimum light in the cave and the air was a mix of hot and cold. Deep fog shrouded most of the area yet it was not so thick enough that she could miss the naked form of the King sitting on her opposite side. The lukewarm water relaxed each and every nerve of her body relieving a week's worth of fast travel. Her nerves were tingling pleasantly and she felt she could remain here forever. It also served to make her less focused on whatever secret Naruto kept hidden from her.

"You planned this very well" she said frankly, but her tone wasn't accusing even so it made him flinch.

"I was trying to find the best way to reveal the truth to you" he confessed sheepishly,

"Quite the _diplomatic answer_ , my king. There might just be hope for you yet..." teased Tsunade with a playful smirk dancing on her lips,

His own eyebrows twitched and she saw him fight back the grin that wanted to break across his own handsome face. But he controlled his emotions as he steeled himself and came near her.

Tsunade moaned lustfully when he pressed his lips to hers. Unlike their past exploits, this kiss was less fierce but full of passion. She could feel him dearly trying to reassure her as he explored her mouth sending waves of pleasures throughout her entire body. Her body was already relaxed and aroused thanks to the hot springs and she felt stars flash before her eyes when his chakra coated hands gently squeezed her breasts. She trembled in his embrace and gave a silent scream between their kiss as she came really hard.

He held her firmly as her legs were barely able to handle her weight as every muscle in them was turned to water. Her vision was blurry and her heart was beating at a pace she never experienced before. She was panting firmly and if not for his repeated and gentle strokes on her naked back she would have lost all sense of her surroundings.

" _Bastard_ " she cursed without any heat in her voice, making him chuckle and kiss her cheek affectionately.

"I told you I would give you pleasure everytime after our first night together. I'm just keeping my promise" he whispered cheekily, and despite her closed eyes she could already imagine that smug, victorious and cheeky smile plastered on that face of his.

Naruto chuckled loudly when she gave him a playful punch to the ribs before pushing him roughly into the water. She was quick to dive in after him and soon enough they were both fighting for control over the other. Their little spar being a mix of kissing, light punches, playful biting and even an occasional spank to the ass.

He didn't know how long they continued wrestling like that but it was enough to make him laugh and give him the reassurance he desperately needed. By the time they were done, it was not just him who was ready to reveal the truth.

But Tsunade was also calm enough to listen.

"Tell me" she whispered seriously, her hazel eyes staring at his own as her hands caressed his chest.

 _It's now or never._

He took a deep breath before losing himself in his memories as he remembered the past. Already it felt so long ago that he had met Shizuka, it felt like another lifetime. So much had happened since then, the Uchiha and Senju had united, the Daimyo was overthrown, he lost Mikoto, being chosen King, marrying Tsunade, and now the War of Conquest.

Had it already been barely six months since he last saw Shizuka? Gods, he might become a father sooner than he expected.

When he saw Tsunade still waiting for him, he knew he had to take a plunge into that dark valley and hope for the best.

"Before I met you, before the peace, I did something" began Naruto carefully,

"Go on" she reassured him,

"It was after I put down the Yamanaka rebellion once and for all. To make sure they didn't take up arms against my people ever again, I burned their leader alive and made them watch. It was something which I had to do but also left me shaken. Like you, I also didn't believe much in the gods but something inside me snapped and I needed to find an anchor or lose myself to the madness many in my clan have succumbed to in the past" he explained honestly,

"It's totally normal, for all my anger I cannot think I'll ever be able to do what you did. Even for my people" said Tsunade hesitantly, earning a grim nod from her husband.

"And I pray that you never have to. The burden of command is not easy to bear for anyone, it tests you in ways you could have never dreamed of. Where every action you take has to be thought of from all angles unless you make a mistake and innocents pay for that in blood. To find that peace again, I went to the _Temple of Amaterasu_ of the Nadeshia clan" confessed Naruto,

Tsunade got a sinking feeling in her gut on hearing that. She was well aware of what that clan of only female warriors and priestess were famous for and judging from the way Naruto looked nervous, she was not going to like the rest of the tale one bit. Even so, she had to know so she gave him the consenting nod.

"There I met a priestess named Shizuka who helped me in finding that peace. One thing led to another and..." he left it unsaid,

Tsunade grimaced as she realized what had happened between Naruto and the Priestess.

"Were you with Mikoto together during that time?" she asked hesitantly, and was very much relieved when he shook his head.

"Not exactly. I mean, we were teasing each other all the time but we had not committed to anything at that point. It was only after I returned that Mikoto and I decided to give it a shot..." reassured Naruto,

"And why does your actions with Shizuka matter? She's your past, just like Mikoto and I cannot hold you guilty for having sex or relationships" said Tsunade honestly, and frowned when he pursed his lips for a moment before revealing the truth that left her speechless.

 _"What if that led to the creation of an unborn child?''_

Tsunade paled and her hand on his chest stopped its caressing motion. She knew he was anxiously looking at her, waiting to hear her say something. But she couldn't do that...

The hard and bitter truth that there was a woman currently carrying his child in her belly left her paralyzed.

It changed everything, be it the alliance that was formed, their marriage and the rest of their lives.

Most of all, he _knowingly_ kept this secret from her and the Senju alongwith their allies.

"Who knows about this?" she whispered, still looking at the water and not at him.

"The Kyuubi, Madara and you" he confessed,

She looked at him in disbelief and felt her own emotions go for another frantic spin. The fox was a dear friend of Naruto, and she knew how much Naruto loved his brother. It made sense that he told them of this, but to think he kept this from Tajima? Naori? His friends? Mikoto? Even the Uchiha and their allies?

"That's why you sued for peace so fiercely. _For your child_ " realized Tsunade, as he nodded hesitantly.

"I did. And they are probably twins girls if Shizuka's medics are correct"

Tsunade grasped her forehead as she felt a painful headache spreading through her brain. Nothing could have ever prepared her for a life changing truth like this and she was desperately trying to find an anchor to hold on to. But unlike Naruto who found that anchor in Shizuka...

Tsunade didn't have anyone in this moment.

"Please say something, Tsunade" he pleaded, and she could not miss the desperation in his voice.

When she finally looked up at him, he flinched on seeing the burning anger and hurt in her eyes.

"You shouldn't have kept this from me or my family atleast. Do you know what you have _done?_ " asked Tsunade bitterly, and was surprised when he glared back at her.

"I didn't know how you all would react to this. It could have probably destroyed any chance for peace and plunged us all into a never ending war. I did what I thought was right" argued Naruto fiercely,

She jabbed her finger painfully into his chest and looked at him even more furiously.

"Maybe. But it was _selfish_ and you know that. Did you even think how my family and their allies would react when they discovered the truth? You created a peace on the foundation of a _**Massive Lie!**_ If people discover the truth and in time they will because nothing stays secret in this world for eternity, there will be many who will feel betrayed. _I feel betrayed!_ " she yelled, as she pushed herself away from him.

When he tried to reach her she gave him a scathing look that stopped him dead in his tracks.

"I understand your need to protect your children but by trying to do so you have placed the lives of _thousands_ of other children at risk. _Tobirama will kill you and your entire family when he learns of this!_ " said Tsunade in alarm,

He wanted to argue against her, to make her understand how this revelation could have neutralized any chance for peace or sent them all into an unknown future. But he couldn't because deep down he had always known how the Senjus and Tsunade herself would react when they learned that he kept such an important secret from them.

He was no ordinary man, but a King. His daughters through Shizuka would be Princesses because there was no way he would abandon them to their fate. It directly threatened the future of the children he would have with Tsunade.

 _Ninjas have gone to war for petty feuds._

For an important threat like this, they would probably go for a genocide. Hashirama and Itama could probably be pacified, but there were many like Tobirama and his allies who just wanted a chance to rebel.

And he had given them the perfect reason to do so.

"I made a mistake" he whispered sadly,

How could he have been so delusional in hoping the Senjus would accept this? It was a fool's wish and he had fell for it completely.

"You are King now, Naruto. Every action of yours have grave consequences..."

Her sharp words only made him feel worse but he knew he deserved it so kept his silence until another question came to his heart...

"What will you do?" he asked worriedly,

She paced restlessly across the hot spring sending ripples everywhere. The irony was that watching those ripples only made him realize even more how this could destroy everything they had built.

" **I don't know!** We are barely _sixteen_ and are already rulers of an entire nation. We are fighting a war by uniting ninja clans that have fought each other for thousands of years!" confessed Tsunade in panic,

"Tsunade-"

 _"Don't!"_

He felt as if someone had given him a painful slap as he watched the raw fury in her eyes and it unnerved him for he had never seen her like this before. Looking into her fierce eyes made him wonder whether she would kill him right here or do something worse.

"How could you _lie to us all_ like that, Naruto?" she asked disappointedly,

"I'm sorry" he whispered, knowing it was not enough.

"I cannot fault you for having an unplanned child but the truth is that you kept this from not just my family but yours as well. You have betrayed them all and placed everyone's life at risk" lamented Tsunade,

He was alarmed when she started to march towards the shore of the hot spring.

"Tsunade!"

She looked at him and probably saw his fear and panic. She wished she could reassure him but she couldn't...

"It's best if we maintain distance for a while. I'll be heading back to the supply camp in our rear lines and take charge. It would not raise much suspicion since everyone would probably think it is a safe choice not to plunge both the king and queen into a dangerous battle and lose them both. My brothers would not question my choice either" she decided, surprising him with the fact that despite all her anger and betrayed emotions she could still think up of something intelligent like this.

"Will you tell your brothers?" he asked hesitantly, and saw her clench her fists.

"I don't know. I have never lied to them before...but I will do what I can not to endanger those children and Shizuka. They are innocent but not everyone would see that. That is all I can give you right now, Naruto" she whispered sadly,

Hearing her say that relieved and unnerved him at the same time. He was glad to know that she was not the type of person who would bring her wrath down on Shizuka and her unborn children for his mistakes, but if Tsunade ever told her brothers about this...

She walked away before he could say anything and for the first time in his life, Naruto experienced a feeling he had not experienced in a long time.

 _He was terrified._

* * *

By the time Naruto and his friends entered the command tent it was mid-afternoon. However, they were all surprised to find it already occupied. None were surprised to see Hashirama Senju or Naori Uchiha or even Shin Aburame waiting for the King, even the fox's presence didn't raise any eyebrows as the beast usually resided near to the King most of the time.

However, Naruto narrowed his eyes when he spotted a stunningly beautiful redheaded woman waiting for him. She was older than him by a few years, probably around Hashirama's age, her skin was even more paler than his own and her stark blue eyes were staring at him intensely. Her posture indicated pride, surprise and respect but also fear, desperation and nervousness.

The same could be said about the handful redheads including a little girl of nine standing around the woman protectively.

Before he could even speak, he was surprised when a golden blur passed from his side. He could not help but blink when Tsunade who had just charged into the tent went straight for the redhead woman and embraced her fiercely.

Confused, the king looked at his supporters and saw Hashirama gesture to the redhead who gave a short bow to him.

"This is Mito Uzumaki, my king. Daughter of Lord Ayato Uzumaki, heiress of the nation of Uzu" introduced Hashirama, and was there a hint of admiration in the man's voice?

Naruto was not in a good mood right now after his spat with Tsunade. He was still worried as to what she would do now that the truth was known to her and meeting an Uzumaki was not on his agenda right now. Certainly not when the stubborn redheads had ignored his proposal to join the Ninja Kingdom. He had even offered them quite a few lands in the Land of Lightning once it was secured and also proposed to let them rule Uzu but ultimately be answerable to him.

And they had ignored that offer continuing their never ending slight of the Uchiha.

"King Naruto" greeted Mito respectfully,

"What business does an Uzumaki heiress have here? If I remember correctly, I sent your people an offer to join the new world. Your father _spat_ at my offer..." said Naruto frostily, maybe it was his anger and frustration with Tsunade's reaction or the insult Ayato Uzumaki had shown him, he was not in a good mood and Mito Uzumaki was going to bear the brunt of it for her poor timing.

The woman flinched at his harsh tone but before Naruto could rebuke her further he was silenced by Tsunade's stern glare.

"You will speak to her _respectfully_ , my king. If we are all guilty for the crimes of our fathers, then we all ought to be executed" warned Tsunade icily,

Nearly everyone in the tent flinched at the rebuke and Hashirama was taken aback by his sister's changed attitude towards her husband. His ability to sense emotions already pointed barely restrained anger, hurt and pain burning in both Naruto and Tsunade's hearts. More so in Tsunade's case, he didn't know what happened but he knew he had to intervene.

"My King, my grandmother was an Uzumaki. The Senju share ties of blood with their clan, so do the Uchiha through our common ancestor..." said Hashirama honestly,

 _"We are kin. Uchiha and Uzumaki"_

It was the little girl who spoke those words and surprised the King. His anger momentarily forgotten as he stared at the proud and defiant child.

Mito tensed when the King approached forward and knelt before the girl.

"What's your name?" asked Naruto curiously, making the girl lift her shoulders proudly.

"Kushina Uzumaki. Daughter of Nagato Uzumaki, heiress of Uzu" introduced the girl,

"Do you know who I am?" asked Naruto with a smile, making her nod eagerly.

" _Dragon King_. They say you ride upon a giant fox" said Kushina gleefully, as she stared at the fox sleeping in the corner who on hearing her words snorted much to everyone's shock.

Tsunade and everyone else tensed at the blatant insult but were surprised when Naruto rolled his eyes at the gesture...

"I do ride upon that lazy fox once I manage to get his _fat ass_ off the ground" said Naruto playfully, and grinned when he saw Kurama growl at him.

Kushina laughed on hearing that and she pointed a finger at the grumbling Biju, "He's _cute!_ "

 **"I AM THE KYUUBI, STUPID BRAT! I AM NOT CUTE!"** roared Kurama in fury,

" _And fluffy_ " said Kushina bravely,

" **I AM NOT...FLUFFY!** " yelled Kurama in disbelief, nearly making everyone deaf and sending half the camp in a frenzy.

"Oh shut up! Getting riled up by a little girl? You're getting soft..." chided Naruto, earning a series of grumbling and curses from the Biju before it went back to sulking in a corner.

Naruto's anger had mostly faded thanks to the interesting child before him. She was a fierce one, not many including the likes of Hashirama dared to irritate Kurama. He glanced at Tsunade only to see an unreadable expression on her face as she watched him and Kushina together...

He was brought out of his thoughts when Kushina again decided to make herself heard.

"My people are dying. We need help" said the child hesitantly, worry and fear clearly visible in her purple eyes.

Naruto frowned at the claim and looked at Mito Uzumaki questioningly. The older woman gestured to her guards and they hesitantly obeyed her command. Kushina soon found herself being escorted out of the tent by her clansmen, the child tried to protest but one glance from Mito silenced all her protests. When they were gone, Naruto stared at Mito seriously.

"What does she mean?"

Mito sighed but was relieved when Naruto gestured for everyone to take a seat. They were all reluctant to do so when the King himself remained standing but when he insisted they could not disobey. Only his newly formed Kingsguard stood alongside him. Mito had heard these four boys were childhood friends of the King and were fierce warriors themselves. The presence of Shisui Uchiha: The Morning Star and his famed sword **Fury** was enough to dissuade any hostile thoughts from arising in her mind. Not that they ever had...

"Nearly six months ago our patrols across our sea borders spotted ships. While they did not cross into our lands, these unknown parties often used to stay near the border longer than any merchant vessels ever did. We know for a fact that the Mountain clans from the Land of Lightning do not have any kind of fleet and imagined them to be a new nation trying to probe our defenses. Not taking the threat lightly, my father called for additional aid from the Fire Daimyo who promised him not just his forces but also those of the Uchiha and Senju" explained Mito briefly,

"That went well for him" said Naruto sarcastically, making Mito grimace as she was again reminded of the coup this young boy had staged. It still surprised her that someone noble like Hashirama could agree to such a thing but then again the man was a shinobi and treachery was not something unusual to them.

"It was only after news of the Daimyo's defeat reached us did we come under attack. Whole patrols started disappearing, our forward defense outposts were attacked and destroyed. We only realized the true magnitude of the threat when one of our seven islands went silent. My father called our armies and ordered an investigation. When we reached there..."

As Mito faltered, Naruto could not help but feel he was not going to like what she had to say. From the corner of his eye, he saw Kurama actually rise from his sleep and pay rapt attention the Uzumaki.

"What did you find there?" asked Tsunade gently, Mito was a friend of hers and even distant cousin if she tried to connect their family ties. Quite a few years of her childhood were spent in visiting Uzu and there she had befriended Mito, Nagato, and their brother Nahiro.

"The whole island was deserted. Not a soul was present inside the city, it was as if they all vanished. There were no bodies but only rivers of blood. A massacre happened there but no evidence was left for our army to investigate further. We soon realized we had made a mistake by taking our entire force to one place as within the next few days we got word that three more of our islands were attacked. We rushed to their defense with haste but found similar results everywhere" said Mito gravely, her despair clearly visible in her blue eyes.

" ** _Who_** did this?" asked Hashirama furiously, he might have did his allies injustice by not rushing to their aide immediately but if they were facing such a grave threat then it was his duty to help them.

"Realizing the gravity of the threat my father ordered our forces to defend our capital Uzu and our remaining two islands. It was not long before we encountered the enemy for the first time and we knew what happened to our people. _They all came back..._ " said Mito hesitantly,

"But you just said they were all massacred" pointed Shin Aburame confusedly, earning a haunted look from the Uzumaki woman.

 **"I never said they came back alive"**

Naruto stiffened as memories of his dark dreams came haunting back in his heart. The tent erupted in panic and disbelief with questions being thrown at Mito alongwith accusations of lies, but everyone was silenced when Kurama himself approached the Uzumaki.

Mito gulped on seeing a smaller form of the strongest Biju of the world so close to her. This beast was capable of destroying entire nations and right now it was staring at her intensely...

 **"Explain everything"** commanded Kurama, much to everyone's surprise.

"It was our _own_ people who attacked us. But they were not our people anymore, they never spoke, they never listened as we pleaded them to stop this madness. They attacked our soldiers like animals not caring if they were struck down. Even when our ninjas severed their vital organs they still kept coming. We soon realized those men and women, even children were already dead. It was as if their dead bodies were being controlled like puppets by someone hiding in the shadows..." explained Mito gravely,

"Could it be fighters from the Land of Wind? Their people are well versed in the art of puppetry" suggested Itachi,

"Maybe. But no puppet master can control thousands of dead corpses. They certainly cannot attack and silence entire islands without alerting the Uzumaki defenders" countered Kagami worriedly,

"Lady Mito, did your fighters ever see the one behind this madness?'' questioned Shisui,

"Not up close. But we did see a few shadows at the back of our turned people, there were also strange inhuman creatures that were as pale as snow from head to toe but they were all waiting in the back and content with watching our own turned people destroy us. We lost both our islands and had to retreat to Uzu, my brother Nahiro was killed when our last island was lost" revealed Mito sadly,

Tsunade's eyes widened and without hesitation her hand reached up to clasp Mito's. The Uzumaki woman gave her a strained but thankful smile before looking at the King and the fox who were both very pale, the fox looked ready to piss himself which did not reassure Mito in the slightest.

 **"Did you see any banners?"** asked Kurama hesitantly,

"My brother Nahiro reported one before he was killed. He said he saw a banner of a _Great Tree with Ten Long Branches_ , but never before has such a banner been seen anywhere" answered Mito confusedly,

Naruto was alarmed when Kurama roared so furiously that it nearly caused a minor earthquake. Instantly he walked towards his friend even as others scrambled away from the out of control Biju. He knelt before the fox and placed a comforting hand on his neck. The familiar connection was established that allowed them to talk to each other without any words.

 _"Tell me"_ commanded Naruto, and watched the despair and fear in Kurama's eyes which unnerved him greatly.

 **"That banner only belonged to one person"** said Kurama hesitantly,

 _"Who?''_ demanded Naruto worriedly,

 **"Kaguya Otsutsuki"**

Naruto's heart skipped a beat on hearing the name of that dreaded woman be mentioned again. He remembered Kurama's terrifying tale of the _First War for Dawn_ and how Kaguya nearly destroyed the world if she had not been stopped by her sons.

 _"You said she was defeated. She's dead"_ countered Naruto fiercely,

Thousands of years had already passed since Kaguya's fall and while some her supporters still existed till this day, he doubted they could ever be capable of something like this.

 **"I know. But it does not change the fact that someone has raised her banner again. The reason I was tasked by the Sage to watch over the Uchiha was the fact that the third 'tainted' son of Kaguya corrupted your ancestor Indra and made him nearly awaken the Juubi in hopes of reviving Kaguya's trapped soul. While we managed to stop Indra averting another disaster, the Sage wanted any further attempts to corrupt the Uchiha to be stopped by any means. It was why he entrusted me, the strongest of his creation with this task while my other brothers and sisters maintained peace across the world"** explained Kurama,

 _"How grave is this threat? I cannot fight a war on three fronts. My forces are already engaged against the Land of Wind, The Samurai Nation and they outnumber us. If I send aid to Uzu, I only further weaken my army. I cannot take this risk, certainly not now that Tsunade knows the truth about Shizuka"_ argued Naruto fiercely,

 **"You told her?"** asked Kurama in disbelief, this couldn't have happened at a worst time?

It might just destroy the alliance they had formed so painfully. But it was done and there was no going back now, even so Naruto needed to know the truth.

 **"You need to send aid to Uzu and investigate the truth. The Uzumaki are a strong and ancient clan, if you ever want their allegiance then aid them in their hour of need. If these are truly Kaguya's supporters, then I fear it is not possible for us to defend Uzu without great losses. I suggest you get as many of them to safety before their islands are overrun"** warned Kurama,

 _"This could all be a ploy, Kurama. We are talking about a woman that has been dead for thousands of years!"_ exclaimed Naruto, and flinched when the beast glared at him.

 **"It is your choice, King Naruto"**

The beast gave that last piece of advice just as Mito came before Naruto and bent her knee. The importance of that gesture was not lost to Naruto for the Uzumaki were an extremely proud clan. For their heiress to kneel before him could only mean Ayato Uzumaki was desperate and was even willing to swear fealty to Naruto.

"You have every reason to deny any help to my people, King Naruto. My ancestors have not been kind or even cordial to the Uchiha and for that I ask your forgiveness. But my people are dying by the thousands, one of my brothers is already dead and more will follow. My father has agreed to swear fealty to you and accept you as our King. He only gave me one message to say to you" said Mito sincerely,

The redhead looked at the young king and saw a series of conflicted emotions present in his eyes.

 _"Uzushiogakure calls for aid"_

Tsunade and everyone else watched nervously as Naruto clenched his fists. Whatever their personal opinions regarding the Uzumaki situation, Naruto was their King and his word would be final and might just decide the fate of the Uzumaki.

Naruto was already fighting a war on two fronts and his enemies outnumbered his forces greatly. The bitter fact was that he had no troops to spare even if he wanted to. Now, he also had to deal with the fact that Tsunade knew his darkest secret and his allies might turn on him any moment when they discovered the deception. In front of his eyes, everything was falling apart and he was helpless to stop it.

 _Three choices..._

Shizuka's dark prophecy rang true in his heart and deep down he knew this was the second one.

When he made his first choice, it ended a never ending war and brought peace after thousands of years.

What consequences would the second one have?

Naori Uchiha watched her nephew close his eyes and take a deep breath. When he opened them again, he looked straight at Mito with clear determination in his eyes.

 **"And The Land of Fire shall answer"**

Stunned silence prevailed across the tent as the magnitude of that decision washed over every person. Kurama could not help but smile in relief when Naruto turned towards his most trusted friend.

"Muster the Kingsguard force by evening, same goes for the naval fleet. I want as many ninjas and sailors you can summon...I shall lead them _personally_ to Uzu" declared Naruto,

"My King, it gladdens me to hear that you have decided to aid our allies. But you need not burden yourself, I can lead this force while you lead our army to victory against the Samurai Nation" suggested Hashirama, but Naruto shook his head.

"No, Lord Senju. What kind of a King will I be if I let others defend my own people? No, you shall maintain command over 15,000 of our warriors and with the help of the fox you shall defeat the Samurai Nation" ordered Naruto, surprising both the Senju head and the Biju.

 **"What?"** exclaimed Kurama fiercely,

"If my army loses here then it will all be for nothing. Help them defeat the Samurai Nation while I aid the Uzumaki. We'll repel the invaders by combining my 7000 elite troops with the Uzumaki fighters. If everything fails, I'll use our ships to save as many Uzumaki as I can and give them refuge in my own nation" declared Naruto, his iron voice leaving no room for protest from anyone. Including Kurama.

A part of Kurama wanted nothing more but to go with Naruto but the rational side of him knew it was important for Naruto to defeat the Samurai Nation. He was already taking a considerable sum of his forces including many elite warriors to help the Uzumaki and needed Kurama to aid Hashirama to defeat their enemies here. If this threat was truly what Kurama feared it was, then it only became more important to unite every fighter of the world. The only way to do that with haste was through force until everyone saw the true threat with their very own eyes. But if they waited for that to happen, then it would be too late.

The fox watched as Shisui and his sworn brothers rushed out to carry out Naruto's commands. The King then instructed Shin Aburame to accompany him to Uzu alongwith three civilian generals, Itama Senju and Naori Uchiha as well.

Mito could only watch in stunned silence as everyone rushed to obey the young king, she would have liked if he had brought his entire force and the Biju to Uzu's aid but knew it was not possible. Even so, The King himself was marching to their aid bringing the elite of his army to the fight including the likes of Naori Uchiha and his dangerous friends.

Surprisingly, Tsunade was ordered to stay back much to the blonde's shock.

When she approached her husband the fierce glare in his eyes could barely contain the sea of anger burning in his heart.

"Why?" she asked,

"I made a mistake and I am sorry for that but you know I only had the best intentions for everyone in my heart when I made that choice. You chose to want some space, I am only following your own request" said Naruto bitterly,

"But-"

She stopped on noticing the sadness and disappointment in his eyes. Despite all that had happened between them, she could not let him go out there like that. Not alone.

 _"You cannot make every decision in this marriage, Tsunade"_

His words hurt and she fought back a grimace. With one last glance he walked away...

* * *

Naruto watched thousands of his elite ninjas march in discipline towards the royal fleet that shall take them to Uzushiogakure to face an unknown enemy that had already brought a clan like the Uzumaki to their knees.

Mito Uzumaki and all of her clansmen except for Kushina would be accompanying the King's force back to their homeland. Kushina had tried to protest but had to relent when Mito ordered her to stay here, thankfully Tsunade agreed to watch over the girl personally. Both women knew that if all was lost then atleast this way one of Uzu's future heiress would survive.

Shin Aburame and the civilian generals were making sure the arms and supplies were being loaded onto the ships carefully while Shisui, Itachi, Kagami and Takeshi guided the fighters.

Naruto gave a respectful nod to Hashirama and Kurama who both sent him him a firm gaze promising nothing but victory against the Samurai Nation. His eyes then fell upon his wife who was holding a moist eyed Kushina in her grasp...

There were many things he wanted to say to Tsunade and she likely had the same thoughts but a wall had developed between them and at the very least they needed time to accept the change in their life. This new campaign might just given them that opportunity...

Watching the three headed dragon banners being unfurled across every ship made Naruto realize the true gravity of the situation.

 _So, on the lands of Uzushiogakure the doom of our world might be unleashed..._

He was brought out of his own thoughts when Naori placed a firm hand on his shoulder. Knowing that she was coming with him alongwith Itama Senju and his friends gave him hope. The three of them looked ahead when the Commander of the Kingsguard unleashed his sword from the top of the flagship, **Hachimon**.

Naruto could not help but smile on seeing his best friend wielding **Fury** and look at the thousands of ninjas boarding the ships who were all staring back at him. Shisui's voice was loud and commanding as he declared...

 _"Warriors of Kingsguard, Now is the time! Oaths you have taken, now fulfill them all!"_

 _"FOR UZU!"_

 _"FOR THE KING!"_


	27. Echoes

**Thank you for the support. Hope you continue it.**

 **Chapter 27**

 **Echoes**

* * *

 _She walked through a field marred in crimson. The wind was cold yet comforting, the feeling of peace combined with melancholy resonated across every pore of her body. In the distant land, she saw a great city that had a three headed dragon banner flying from its magnificent Castle._

 _As she walked through the deserted streets she could not help but be drawn towards the Castle. It took her a while to reach her destination but when she finally arrived there, her breath stopped._

 _In front of her lay a statue of a man who was unlike anyone she had ever seen before._

 _She could not help but mesmerizingly watch the sleeping form of the armored warrior as he rested on a dais. In his hands was a great sword and even though both man and weapon were merely made of stone, she could not help but feel he was alive._

 _It was an image blessed to remain immortal through the passage of time until the world itself ended._

 _Her heart threatened to shatter into millions of tiny shards as she gazed upon the mesmerizing statue. She would have fallen apart completely in grief and misery until she saw something else that baffled her._

 _A real image of the same carved statue stood at its edge gazing down upon the sleeping man carved in stone. Their faces were so alike that she could almost call them twins if not for his bright blonde hair and bright hazel eyes. Beside him were two young women, both beautiful and dazzling. Their skin as pale as the moon, their hair long and variants of dark shade of light brown and black, their eyes so similar to the statue they were staring at. There were silent tears in the eyes of the girls and a look of melancholy mixed with admiration on the face of the boy with a crown on his head that was just as magnificent as him._

 _"Beautiful, isn't it?"_

 _She blinked on seeing another person step beside her._

 _Tsunade froze on seeing an almost exact replica of her eldest brother staring back at her. But while Hashirama had dark hair, this man had light brown hair and his smile was even more kinder than any man's._

 _"What is this?" she asked in a trembling voice,_

 _"The fate of men. One passed on more prominently among those of Dragon blood..." he whispered sadly, and if possible his eyes were even sadder than hers as if the carved statue was someone very precious to this man._

 _"Who are you?" she asked,_

 _"A passenger of time. Someone doomed to witness glory and death until a true successor comes. One who shall relieve me of this suffering..." answered the man mysteriously,_

 _Tsunade glanced at the boy with blonde hair and didn't miss the man beside her doing the same._

 _She watched the stranger approach the carved statue and to her despair the blonde boy and the two girls around him vanished as if they never existed. He gingerly touched the face of the statue and there was unending sorrow and pride in his moist eyes._

 _"A great darkness approaches, my daughter. A time of great despair and suffering shall consume this world, the moment where the fate of this world shall be decided. Yet I see the dragons roar one last time in this world before fading forever..." whispered the man sadly,_

 _"I'm dreaming" realized Tsunade, earning a faint nod from the stranger._

 _"Long ago a mistake was made that tore a family apart, yet after all this time of suffering there is still hope. If mankind is to survive the coming darkness then it must unite. Where it must rally behind the one that shall lead them through these dark times and yet I see his end. He shall die just like the ones before him, before his time and all hope shall be lost. He will come to death saving the world from destruction, yet he shall fail in giving it true peace" explained the man briefly,_

 _"I don't understand-"_

 _"Save him, my daughter. Before it is too late, before the world is ruled not by a King-"_

 _Her eyes widened in horror and she was brought to her knees as the world around her was consumed by darkness and the skies were consumed by a terrifying image._

* * *

Tsunade awoke with a strangled gasp.

In the cold night she shivered uncontrollably and her terrified eyes searched for the form of her husband who was always by her side. But not this time...

In his place lay a small child with bright red hair that was snuggled closely against her giving out soft snores every now and then. She reached out to gently caress Kushina's face and felt some of her terror fade.

Tsunade gave out a weak sigh as she wiped the sweat from her forehead and could not help but gulp as she remembered the dream she had just experienced. It had only been three days since Naruto left with his men to save Uzu from the unknown threat, and yet it felt like a lifetime.

Her dreams were getting more vivid and darker, the visions she witnessed bringing only further despair to her heart.

 _I'm sorry, Tsunade._

She fought back her tears as she again heard his sorrowful voice whisper in her ears. He had made a mistake but it was one with good intentions, he was young and new at the change in his life even so he was desperately trying to protect everyone. The fact that he went to help the Uzumaki even when they once spat in his face showed the kind of man he was.

He had trusted her enough to share his biggest and most dangerous secret with her...

And she had accused him, humiliated him and left him alone in his time of need.

She cursed her impulsiveness that had led her astray many times. She could not help but remember the fact that despite the insults the Uzumaki had thrown at Naruto, or how miffed he was on seeing Mito come to him for help, he had been kind to Kushina. The kindness and warmth that had been present in his eyes were real and genuine as Kushina convinced him to help her people. If he was so perfect in bonding and caring for a child he just met...

Tsunade now understood the amount of love Naruto must have for his unborn daughters that he was willing to go against the entire world including his family for them. It was not an action befitting a King...

But it was befitting a man.

She remembered the three young ones of her dreams, those girls she saw were Naruto's daughters and the boy...

 _Her son._

A child that would never be born should Naruto not return from Uzu.

She should have been there with him and all for a stupid argument he was left out there to face a threat that had brought a mighty nation like Uzushiogakure to its knees. Guilt could not begin to describe the overwhelming feeling in her heart and all she could do to console herself was the fact that she would never abandon him like that again.

* * *

Morning came and when Tsunade emerged from her tent she found their entire camp in a frenzy. Ninjas and civilian soldiers alike were seen running back and forth gathering arms, supplies, dousing campfires, readying warhorses, and much more.

She wanted to send Kushina to safety but knowing the stubborn child, she would only find a way to sneak into action. It was better if Tsunade kept the child by her side. She had promised Mito to protect her niece and she intended to keep her word.

"The enemy is here..."

She blinked on realizing it was Kushina who said those words. Glancing at the child, Tsunade understood that she was a sensor and had likely discovered the arrival of the Samurai Nation.

"How many?" asked Tsunade seriously,

"Thousands..." replied Kushina nervously, making Tsunade grimace.

Wordlessly the queen grabbed a nearby warhorse and mounted on top of it. Kushina quickly joined her on the beast when Tsunade extended her hand and together they rode hard through the camp. Most of the fighters were almost there at the frontlines standing behind the tall form of Hashirama Senju and the gigantic nine tailed fox.

She stepped beside her eldest brother and saw him grimly staring at the tall hills.

"It is time..." whispered Hashirama,

"What do you want me to do?" asked Tsunade seriously, making her brother look at her.

"The fox insists that we need to preserve our army. The King already took out best fighters with him, half of our force are ninjas but the rest are civilians and while I do not doubt their bravery or skill...they are going up against 40,000 Samurai" explained Hashirama gravely,

Tsunade could not help but nod grimly. While it was true that the Samurai could be handled by ninjas if they had numbers and surprise on their side, but civilian soldiers going up against that ancient order was pure madness. The Samurai had with them not just courage but discipline and the will to fight to the last for what they believed in. That kind of conviction was hard to break...

The Uzumaki had really weakened their army in its most desperate hour by calling for aid but there was nothing that could be done about it now.

She felt a comforting hand being placed on her shoulder and saw Hashirama give her a gentle smile. Tsunade could not help but be reminded of the stranger she saw in her dreams, her brother reminded her of that man.

"Leave it to me"

If it was anyone else who said those words, she would have likely not believed them. But this was Hashirama, the strongest Senju born in a thousand years.

 **"You're the Queen of these men and women. Maintain command over them and keep them in reserve, I and Hashirama shall handle the situation"** declared Kurama,

"Just the two of you, _foxy?_ " asked Kushina doubtfully, making the fox's eyebrows twitch.

 **"I'm the Nine Tailed Demon Fox, stupid brat! I can handle these weakling Samurai!"** boasted Kurama irritatedly,

Before any further bickering could continue, Hashirama stepped forward and clasped his hands together.

 **"Wood Style: A Thousand Sons!"**

Kurama and every warrior gasped when in front of their eyes rose a thousand identical clones of Hashirama. Each and everyone of them dressed in full Senju armor with a longsword in one arm and a strong wooden shield in the other. Together, the new army stepped as one before their creator.

 _"Why need an army when we've got Hashirama"_ thought Tsunade proudly,

Kurama watched the Senju Princess summon her own slug summon and start organizing their 15,000 strong army to act as reserve. Hashirama on the other hand walked forward at the head of his clone army ready to face his enemies. The marching sound of the clone army itself did wonders to boost the morale of the ninja forces.

The fox stared at Hashirama and saw nothing but an iron resolve to protect his people in those eyes. The others may never see it but the Biju saw a shadow of a man long dead visible in Hashirama.

 _Even after all this time, you haven't abandoned your descendants...Ashura._

With a smile on his lips, the Biju marched forward to join beside Hashirama who gave him a smile, one which Kurama could not help but return gladly.

Together beast and man climbed the hill seeing the approaching enemy for the first time.

Hashirama exhaled a breath on seeing thousands of armored Samurai marching in complete discipline. On their right was a mighty cavalry atleast 12,000 strong. On their left marched atleast two dozen war elephants. In the middle of the force marched thousands of swordsmen and archers followed by their remaining few thousands of reserves in the rear.

Leading the Samurai Cavalry was a scarred man dressed in fine armor, it was most likely Mifune: the Samurai leader.

And at the head of this 40,000 strong army was a tall man standing on top of a gigantic Salamander.

 _Hanzo._

Both armies stopped a few thousand feet away from each other. Hashirama's clone forces quickly formed a perfect _shield wall_ as their creator stepped before them with the Kyuubi by his side.

"Should we give them a chance to surrender?" asked Hashirama finally, making Kurama roll his eyes.

 **"These warriors didn't march all this way here to surrender, Senju. They want a fight, we give them one"** said Kurama firmly, earning a defeated sigh from the Senju leader.

"I just don't want them to die needlessly..." said Hashirama remorsefully, and watched the fox snort in disbelief.

 **"Whoever said that peace can be achieved without bloodshed is a fucking lunatic or at the very least doesn't know humans. Your kind only understands and bows to two things: Power and Desperation"** replied Kurama flatly,

"Even so, I would like to end this before too much blood is spilled. More importantly, _none get past us_ " commanded Hashirama,

Kurama could not understand this man's fanatic desire to appease everyone. Just one glance at the Samurai army was enough to make even an idiot realize they would never bow to ninjas willingly. They were prideful, stubborn and an ancient nation. Yet Hashirama had a point, if the threat the Uzumaki were facing was truly what Kurama was dreading then the world was going to need the Samurai once again.

There was only one way to accomplish that.

Hashirama's eyes widened in horror when without warning the biju suddenly started creating a massive Bijudama. The Samurai were quick to realize the grave threat as one battlecry resonated across the lands **.**

 **"CHARGE!"**

From the left flank the entire 12,000 strong Samurai cavalry led by Mifune charged forward with thunderous battlecries that deafened everyone. From the right charged the army of war elephants straight towards the Kyuubi. From the main formation, Hanzo raised his hand and swiftly brought it down.

Hashirama steeled himself when the very sun itself was momentarily eclipsed by the hail of thousands of arrows launched by the Samurai archers. The clone army instantly raised their shields upwards while their creator went through a rapid sets of hand seals.

 **"Wood Style: Barrage!"**

Hashirama extended his hands upwards launching thousands upon thousands of wooden shards from his palms that collided head on with the hail of arrows. Metal and wood clashed in a mighty roar just in time as the Biju launched its devastating attack at the horde of charging war elephants.

The land was dwarfed in a mighty explosion that nearly rendered every fighter blind for a moment. By the time they regained their vision, the Samurai and Ninjas both were stunned to see no trace of the entire force of war elephants.

 _They just vaporized._

Kurama narrowed his eyes on seeing the Samurai cavalry remaining undeterred in the face of such a one sided massacre.

 _ **Brave but stupid!**_

With a furious roar, the beast charged straight towards the Cavalry force.

Hashirama himself charging forward with his clones to meet the main force of Samurai warriors led by Hanzo himself. The enemy general was galloping forward on his reptile fearlessly despite having witnessed what the Kyuubi just did to his mightiest force of war elephants.

The Salamander opened its large mouth unleashing a wave of purple dark smoke. Hashirama who had a good knowledge of medicine was quick to realize the incoming wave of poisonous smoke and moved to counter the threat.

 **"Wood Style: Flower Pores!"**

From the ground erupted hundreds of small plants which instantly gave birth to thousands of flowers who in turn unleashed a heavy layer of fragrant air. Hanzo grimaced on watching his poison attack be consumed by Hashirama's counter move even as the two armies clashed against each other.

The enemy leader was left speechless when he watched Kurama mercilessly tear through thousands of Samurai horsemen and head straight for their leader.

 _"Mifune!"_

Hanzo's warning was too late as the mighty Biju swept forward and grabbed the Samurai leader with one of his tails. The Samurai warriors roared murderously before unleashing all their fury on the beast that grabbed their leader.

Kurama used his remaining eight tails to pummel dozens of Samurai riders but found himself facing thousands upon thousands of cuts from the chakra blades of the Samurai. It was not taking into account the hundreds of explosives the Samurai were desperately firing all over the Biju's body in a mad attempt to save their leader.

A small force of Samurai cavalry broke formation and charged straight towards the exposed left flank of Hashirama's clone army that was engaged in a losing duel with the Samurai main army.

Hashirama grimaced when nearly a hundred of his clones were mercilessly crushed under the charging warhorses as the minor Samurai cavalry bravely tore through clone forces while their main army pushed back Hashirama's remaining clones.

It was a bloodbath.

That was when the sun was blocked once more and the next thing Hashirama saw were hundreds of Samurai warriors falling to the ground with arrows lodged in their bodies.

Looking back, he saw his sister had disobeyed his order and had now commanded every single one of her 15000 ninjas and civilian fighters to fight.

That was 15,000 fighters launching a hail of arrows, kunai and exploding tags.

The Samurai archers retaliated in kind but they were few in numbers and most often their volley was literally destroyed by the larger one launched by Tsunade's force. Never before had Hashirama seen his sister so furious and commanding, in this moment she was the perfect picture of a Dragon Queen.

She proved Hashirama's thoughts when she gave the dreaded command...

 **"CHARGE!"**

Katsuyu lead the Dragon army with Tsunade mounted on top of it. The Samurai having already lost their beasts and their cavalry engaged against Kurama could only grimly reorganize their broken lines but Tsunade had other ideas.

 _''Attack!"_

Katsuyu spewed forth gigantic streams of acid from her mouth that directly hit the Samurai frontline and men broke as they felt the searing heat of the acid burn their bodies. Their armor only seemed to intensify the heat and pain.

A second line of Samurai fighters bravely created a shield wall with Hanzo and his beast at the front.

Tsunade narrowed her eyes on seeing the tell tale signs of the Salamander reptile about to launch another one of his poison attacks directly at her own charging army. Katsuyu was still gathering her next volley of acid which left the ninja forces open to the poison...

Hashirama's eyes widened and he gave out an alarmed shout when he saw his sister leap away from her summon and fly straight towards Hanzo with her chakra coated fist. The Salamander opened its mouth and shrouded the incoming Dragon Queen in a hue of poisonous smoke that was more than enough to kill a horde of war elephants.

Hanzo had expected the hot blooded queen to fall and was utterly shocked when she broke through the poisonous smokescreen and connected her powerful fist across his jaw.

The Samurai were stunned to watch their general sent flying away and their horror didn't end there as Tsunade gave a murderous roar before pounding both her chakra coated fist on the head of the stunned Salamander. The beast roared in agony before vanishing in a puff of smoke.

Tsuande landed on the ground and coughed blood as she felt the poison start to take its effect. Before she could release the power of the seal on her forehead to stop the pain, she felt a comforting aura spread through her body.

Looking up she was relieved to see her eldest brother staring at her worriedly but there was also pride in his face. Already, Tsunade could feel the poison being destroyed in her body and just in time as the ninja army had now rallied behind the two Senjus.

Hashirama was disappointed to see despite all the death and destruction alongwith the power they just witnessed, the Samurai looked ready to fight till the last man.

Thousands were already dead and more would follow if this futile resistance was not ended.

"Do it, brother" said Tsunade firmly,

Hashirama grimly nodded and stepped forward making the Samurai take a step back. For all their courage, every one of them had seen what the Senjus were capable of and none wanted to challenge the Senju leader in single combat alone.

Hanzo's eyes widened when he sensed a massive build up of chakra, one almost equal in power to half of that of a Bijudama. He charged forward desperately as he realized what was happening...

 **"Wood Style: Deep Wood Forest!"**

Kurama stopped his furious attempt to pummel as many Samurai cavalrymen to their death when the entire land trembled.

The beast watched Hashirama clasp his hands together before roaring so furiously as thousands of trees were given birth and all of them emerged from the bloodstained ground like a tidal wave. Hanzo and everyone of his fighters tried to dodge or run but could not get away as one by one they were all trapped in the long branches of the trees. Even the horses were not spared.

Within two minutes, the remaining Samurai army was trapped in the newly created forest to the last man.

Hashirama panted lightly as he finished his move ending all resistance. This jutsu was still new to him and already he had used huge amount of his chakra in creating his wood clone army. But seeing that the fighting was stopped made this small inconvenience of fatigue worth it...

He watched Tsunade approach towards the trapped Hanzo even as Kurama lowered an unconscious Mifune before the enemy leader.

" _Surrender or Die!_ " stated Tsunade firmly,

"The Samurai and my own people would rather die than let our culture be destroyed by foreign invaders" answered Hanzo honestly, earning a glare from the queen.

"Then keep your culture and continue ruling your lands. But you **_will_** become a part of the Ninja Kingdom and be loyal to the Dragon King and his descendants. Help him create order and peace through these war torn lands" urged Tsunade,

"Shinobi only know war. Your kind will never change... _You have No Honor!_ " spat a trapped Samurai,

"If that was true then we would not be offering you this chance. We have the power to take what we want, but King Naruto wants to unite the people of the elemental nations. He does not want to destroy your culture or tradition but simply wants you to join the new world order. We can have you all killed here today and take your defenseless lands easily but I don't want to do that. Bend the knee and your people live, your nation survives, you thrive" insisted Tsunade,

Hanzo stared at the blonde Senju and then back at his trapped men. Already they could feel the trees slowly sucking away their life force. Many were still trying to get out but it only further served to weaken them even more. He had heard rumors of Hashirama's power and now he knew they were all true...

That was not even taking into consideration the Kyuubi whom Hanzo had no idea how to defeat. If this was just a part of King Naruto's army, then he could only imagine what would happen to his people if the Dragon King came back for vengeance with the likes of Madara Uchiha and thousands of ninjas.

"What do you want from us?" asked Hanzo defeatedly,

"The Daimyo's you serve must be overthrown. The King wants the Samurai Nation to become one large powerhouse where your ninjas can also stay. Either Mifune or you can rule those lands, the King is fine with either option. You will have full jurisdiction over those lands but answerable to any laws or decrees issued by the King. The Land of Lightning however shall be annexed by us..." explained Tsunade seriously,

"What happened to the mountain clans from those lands? I thought they would join your alliance in opposing us..." said Hashirama confusedly, and didn't miss Hanzo grimace.

"We sent word to them but they never replied back. I even sent a few emissaries to personally appeal to them but none of my people ever came back. Nor have my ninjas or Mifune's Samurai warriors seen any movement from those lands for quite a few months..." explained Hanzo gravely,

Hashirama and Tsunade could not help but exchange a worried glance with the Kyuubi. The Land of Lightning was home to some of the most ferocious ninja clans of the world who lived in the high mountains. They were one of the most fiercest warriors of the world and highly valued their independence, for them to go silent like this despite an army marching towards their home could only mean something had happened.

They were brought out of their thoughts when Hashirama released Hanzo from his captivity and the man now formally stood before Tsunade. There was a moment's hesitation before the man knelt and when Hashirama released the Samurai warriors they all followed their leader one by one in bowing to their new queen. They were not happy but they had no choice either.

It was either survive or die a pointless death. Even a proud nation of Samurai knew which was the better choice...

For the first time in days, Tsunade felt a wave of relief as she watched one of their most powerful enemies surrender. Unlike the ninjas who were often known for treachery, the Samurai were a different lot. If they gave their word then they kept it to death. For these people, their _honor_ was more important than their life, yet for the sake of their families and people back home they had accepted this defeat.

She had been miserable ever since Naruto left to fight for Uzu but having played a part, however small, in bringing down his enemies and securing his reign over the world made her feel just a bit more better.

But she didn't know where their army would go from here now that the Samurai were defeated. Thankfully for her, Hashirama already had a plan...

 **"Hanzo, your forces shall join with ours. Together our combined army shall pacify the mountain clans or atleast discover why they have gone silent!"**


	28. The Dragon's Roar

**Thank you for the support. Hope you continue it.**

 **Music Recommendation: The Nazgul March**

 **Chapter 28**

 **The Dragon's Roar**

* * *

Naruto stared at the vast sea before him.

He had been across the waters of the oceans of the world only a handful times and even then those waters had been mostly peaceful to travel upon. However, the sea he was travelling through now had water so dark shade of blue that he could barely see any trace of life beneath the ocean.

The sun itself had been hidden behind dark clouds and never once had it shone its light on the Royal Fleet that was sailing towards Uzu.

The air was getting colder and more wild the closer they were getting to the home of the Uzumaki.

He could feel it in the air, the sensation was so palpable that it nearly terrified any sane man or woman.

 _Death_

The ninjas under his command were getting restless for they could all feel the change. The earth itself was getting consumed in this darkness that was growing stronger and stronger with every passing moment. The only thing keeping the army together was Shisui's firm command and the presence of their King or else there were quite a few who would have ran away and even Naruto couldn't blame them for he himself could not help but wonder...

Had he doomed his men?

"My King"

He was brought out of his despair as Mito stepped beside him. If possible the Uzumaki heiress could sense his thoughts and offered a comforting smile.

"I understand how you feel. The world is changing here and you can feel it now. I cannot blame you or your men if this creates doubts or second thoughts in your hearts" consoled Mito,

"It is true that I am apprehensive but this threat is something entirely different and more dangerous than anything my people currently face. If they are coming for the Uzumaki, then they might come for my people someday as well. It is in everyone's best interests if they are stopped here" explained Naruto honestly, earning a smile from Mito.

"You are wiser than your age, My King" praised Mito, but was surprised when it only made the King smile sadly.

"If only that was true, Lady Mito" whispered Naruto, as memories of his bitter fight with Tsunade came back to haunt him.

She was out there and would soon go up against the Samurai Nation. Granted, she had Hashirama and Kurama by her side alongwith 15,000 soldiers but he still could not help but worry for her. She may have overreacted in her anger but he knew she had been scared for their future if the people didn't take his secret very well. That was not taking into account the fact that he didn't know how Shizuka was doing and if his unborn daughters were well or not.

He had promised the Priestess that he would visit her and yet he had failed to keep his word as he got caught up in the affairs of the world.

What kind of King lied to his own family and people? What kind of King left his loved ones alone in their time of need to fight for someone else?

Saving the Uzumaki may be the honorable and right choice but it didn't make him feel any less guilty for leaving his people alone.

"What more can you tell me about these enemies?" he asked seriously, in an effort to divert his mind away from his rising guilt.

If possible Mito's face darkened.

"Apart from the fact that they are all dead who came back to life unnaturally, they can be killed if they are beheaded or burnt. Anything less, even severing their vital limbs will not do much in stopping them from attacking you again and again. They feel no pain or fear or anything at all except the desire to slaughter. Their bodies are deformed and mutilated with their skin marred in dark stains and their eyes are demonic in nature. We call them **The Undying** or **The Legion** for they are endless" explained Mito gravely,

She didn't miss a realization flash across the King's eyes,

"What is it?" she asked,

"The ancestors of my clan commanded us to burn our dead. It is a tradition followed from Indra's time and even the maddest Uchiha have never defied this tradition. Our elders say burning the dead takes their souls to the halls of our fathers, but now I cannot help but wonder if there was a deeper meaning behind it" said Naruto hesitantly,

"Now that I remember it, the Uchiha are one of the very few who burn their dead" realized Mito in surprise,

The uneasy feeling in Naruto's heart only seemed to intensify as this realization dawned upon him. There was something dark at work here, something ancient and terrible.

"My King, I cannot express in words how much your help means to me and my people in this time of need despite our troubled past. If there is anything you ever need from me, I would be glad to offer you that" said Mito,

Naruto gulped on seeing the intense stare of her mesmerizing purple eyes. Mito was very beautiful even if she was older than him and the aura she was projecting left little to doubt as to the fact that she would offer him anything to show her gratitude. Unlike him, the Uzumaki were actual royalty with the proper lineage, nobility and wealth to back their status.

While Naruto could only be considered a _King of Peasants_ in comparison to the Uzumaki, for most of the ninja clans except for the Senju and Sarutobi had very modest wealth and resources.

He could never forget how much Tsunade had hurt him with her words and it fueled a deep seethed anger within him. She had broken his trust and accused him of being selfish when all he was trying to do was protect his daughters. His hand already moved towards Mito's cheeks as he leaned closer, her lack of resistance to his closing proximity only encouraged him further...

 **"Naruto!"**

He blinked suddenly and found a stoic Naori arriving on the deck. Her face broke no emotion but the cold fury and disappointment in her eyes were clear for him to see. Mito was quick to realize the deteriorating situation and went away with a hurried farewell leaving the King alone with his aunt who was his mother in all but blood.

"I raised you better, Naruto" said Naori disappointedly, and was surprised on seeing the defiance in the boy's eyes.

"I don't have to explain myself" replied Naruto coldly, and for a moment he regretted his harsh words as he saw hurt flash in her eyes.

"I know that. You are no longer a boy, but a man, _a King_. You hold a lot of power in your hands and it is true that you answer to no one but yourself. I do not know what happened between you and your wife but once trust is broken, it is very hard to rebuild" explained Naori sadly,

"My issues with Tsunade are my business. As far as I'm concerned, it is _she_ who has hurt me" spat Naruto bitterly, but was surprised when Naori gently cupped his cheeks.

"And you will retaliate even more harshly? Don't be so spiteful as many of our people are. You are a good man, Naruto. Don't succumb to temptation and anger so easily. Our people are looking to you in this dark hour..." said Naori seriously as she laid a gentle kiss on his forehead.

She was relieved when he exhaled a deep sigh and the burden on his shoulders was clear for her to see. For all his talents, Naruto was just a man.

"Forgive me, I did not see..." he whispered remorsefully,

"Try to be patient with your wife. Neither you or her are perfect and you both are new in this marriage. A women can forgive and tolerate many things, but never can she forgive her loved one cheating on her. You are admirably fulfilling your vows as King, do not waver in the vows you made to your wife" insisted Naori,

"I won't. _Never again_ " he promised fiercely, glad that he had his aunt who made him see reason before he committed an even bigger mistake.

Naori smiled at him proudly.

"Then let us never speak of this again..."

* * *

Nagato Uzumaki sat in his solar in heavy silence, his mind still reeling from the disastrous loss he had suffered while trying to recapture their lost islands. Before he began that foolish quest on the orders of his father he roughly had 12000 fighters with him, both ninjas and civilians alike. Now there were barely 8000 left and even those wouldn't have survived had he not ordered a full retreat to Hirashiman.

Even his own father who was sitting across from him realized the extent of his folly and both men could not help but wonder that Mito had been right all along.

"We cannot hold them anymore, Father" said Nagato honestly, earning a grim nod from the older Uzumaki.

"I realize that, my son. But even if I want to evacuate our women, children and old to safety, I cannot. We do not have the ships anymore. We must make our final stand and die defending our homeland" explained Ayato in a resigned tone,

He was surprised when Nagato gave him a grim smile.

"I'm glad you allowed Mito and my daughter to go to the mainlands. Atleast this way they'll live, I'm with you till the end...Father" promised Nagato earnestly, making the old man smile proudly.

Any moment the enemy could reorganize its now increased legions and attack. It was not going to be much long before...

Both men were surprised when they heard a very familiar war horn being sounded across the entire city.

One of the soldiers hurriedly came into the solar but was surprised when both his lords brushed past him with haste.

Miyami Uzumaki, wife of Nagato Uzumaki was unable to believe the dozens of different banners fluttering across the devastated Uzumaki lands. Nor could she believe the sight of thousands of armed ninjas carrying those banners marching towards the gates in perfect discipline.

The largest and most prominent was the _three headed dragon_ banner but she also spotted the Senju banner, alongwith Namikaze, Sarutobi, Shimura, Akimichi, Aburame and so many more.

As she gave the order to allow the army passage into their city, Miyami did not miss the relief and joy on the faces of her clansmen. Almost everyone of them was shocked but a shred of hope had rekindled in their broken gazes...

She had never held hope of any aid coming for her people and yet...

Her eyes widened when a handsome young boy with light brown hair walked at the head of this army. If the golden armor of his did not give away his identity, the crown upon his head indeed proved his identity as King Naruto Uchiha himself.

"How?" she could not help but ask, earning a comforting smile from the King who was flanked by many Uchiha and Senju.

"I bring word from your allies in the mainland. The Uzumaki have been our allies since time immemorial, we share ties of friendship and blood. Our clans were born from the same family and together we once pledged to safeguard this world as one" said Naruto respectfully,

He looked behind Miyami Uzumaki as he saw two men very familiar in resemblance to Mito come running towards the gates. Their eyes slightly widened when they saw him...

"We come to honor that pledge" declared Naruto,

"King Naruto!"

The said monarch blinked when Nagato Uzumaki gave him a wide smile before engulfing him in a firm embrace. Although taken aback by the surprising gesture, Naruto could not help but feel the relief and happiness wave off this man in spades which brought a thin smile to his own lips as he gently patted Nagato's shoulder.

"It's an honor to have you here, My King" said Nagato gladly with a beaming smile,

Naruto nodded as his eyes spotted an old man with a striking aura step before him. It was no doubt Ayato Uzumaki, the leader of the Uzumaki clan and the man who had once spat at Naruto's offer to ally the redheads with the Ninja Kingdom. Both warriors stared at each other intensely and then to the shock of every Uzumaki, their lord knelt.

"You have come to the aid of my people despite our troubled past and my mistakes. I ask your forgiveness and humbly submit my people and nation to your rule, King Naruto" declared Ayato loudly but with respect,

There were many scathing things Naruto wanted to say to this man but was stopped when Mito burst out of the crowd and hugged her brother fiercely followed by her sister-in-law. The sight of that happy reunion stayed the King's sharp words and resulting in him giving Ayato Uzumaki a stern nod accepting the allegiance.

Ayato Uzumaki gaped when the thousands of ninjas stepped behind their King in unison creating a loud sound. Their faces set in stone as they looked at him. He glanced at the King and saw the young warrior glance at the Uzumaki around him with a promising smile.

"We are proud to fight alongside our kinsmen once more"

* * *

Naruto alongside his friends was currently standing around a large table holding a detailed map of the islands of Uzu. He was already briefed by Nagato about the extent of the war and the losses suffered by the Uzumaki, they even gave him detailed account of the enemy they were facing which was exactly what Mito told him about. When asked about any corpse the Uzumaki might have captured so that the King could study the enemy's secrets, he was disappointed to discover not one enemy was captured. It was not as if the Uzumaki had not tried hard but every prisoner they grabbed only seemed to disintegrate into ashes because of strange seals on their bodies. Seals even the Uzumaki were not fast enough to stop which was alarming itself since the redheads were the best in that art.

In light of the discovery and on Shisui's recommendation, Naruto had ordered majority of his ships to start evacuating the noncombatants from the main island of Uzu and the few that were still left on Hirashiman. At first, Ayato Uzumaki had objected stating that their combined armies could not stop the enemy but one stern glance from Naruto made the man stop any further protests. He was completely pacified when Naruto explained that even with all his ships it would still take atleast two or three weeks to evacuate every Uzumaki noncombatant to the mainlands and that was not even taking into consideration the ninjas and civilian fighters. In the event that the enemy could not be stopped, it was best if the evacuation began now or risk annihilation of every Uzumaki if the allied army failed.

Ayato Uzumaki could not raise any objection to that sensible choice.

"Send your 2000 civilian soldiers to protect Uzu from where the evacuation shall be carried out. The rest of our forces shall hold the enemy here" commanded Naruto,

"Is it wise sending so many capable fighters to defend Uzu? My King, we have a few good men in our home and solid barriers to protect the island. We need every fighter here to repel the enemy" urged Nagato,

"Enough of our people have already died, brother. We must save as many as we can...'' pleaded Mito, earning a sigh from her brother but in the end Nagato relented.

"It's no use hiding behind walls that are barely standing. We must make our 13000 ninjas face the enemy in open field.." suggested Kagami,

"We tried that before and they overwhelmed us with sheer numbers" lamented Ayato Uzumaki,

"Forgive me, my lord. Your people are brave fighters but they lack _discipline_. Our 7000 ninjas are the elite warriors of our lands, it would be best if your people act as their support and it might just help us hold the enemy" said Naori Uchiha frankly,

"She's right, Lord Ayato. Your troops are weary, ours are fresh and ready to fight. We also have good officers to lead this army. I urge you to follow this plan" requested Itama Senju,

"Very well" agreed Ayato, it was not as if he had much choice considering the ice cold glare from the king that was challenging him to disobey. The young boy surely had iron in his veins.

Everyone in the room listened as Naruto started explaining the battle plan. It was fair to say the strategy went against everything they Uzumaki loved but the King was in no mood to please anyone. He assigned leaders to command different units and surprised the Uzumaki family by revealing his decision to stand at the front. They tried to dissuade the young man from taking such a risk but were not able to convince the Uchiha leader.

 _The Battle For Hirashiman was about to begin..._

* * *

Contrary to his expectations, Naruto never saw a single trace of the enemy for the next three days. He sent out patrol parties to search the large island for any sign of enemy movement but was disappointed when his scouts reported no activity. It was as if the enemy had vanished which he knew was not the case. Still, it gave his ninjas and those of the Uzumaki time to familiarize themselves with the battle plan and with each other. Moral was high and it went up further when the ninjas discovered the King himself would be standing at the front when the battle came alongside every other leader.

On the fourth night, the moment they were all dreading finally arrived.

King Naruto stood outside the walls of Hirashiman alongwith an army of 13000 ninjas watching the sole volcano of the island erupt violently. The already darkened skies were now completely shrouded in ash and dust creating a sense of doom and despair. While the erupting lava would never reach the city thanks to the strong barriers created by the Uzumaki centuries ago, they would not be enough to stop the other thing that came out of that smoldering volcano.

 _Now we know why our scouts never found any trace of the enemy..._

Naori watched in horror as several caves suddenly emerged from the bottom of the volcano. The erupting lava changed direction and now headed towards the ocean as a wave of darkness emerged from the caves.

The ground trembled violently as thousands upon thousands of human like deformed creatures walked out of the volcano's caves. Whoever these people were once upon a time, they were long lost. Their skin was charred demonic black courtesy of remaining hiding deep within the volcano's caves. Their eyes just as dark and demonic without an ounce of emotion left in them. Strange seals were engraved on their mutilated corpses and all of them were armed to the teeth. What disturbed many of the King's forces was the presence of nearly a thousand children among the enemy force.

"What is this?" asked Itama in unabashed horror,

"The march of death" replied Nagato grimly,

Shisui clenched his fists as he saw even more and more legions of dead march out of the caves. His sharp eyes were quick to recognize that many of these dead still bore the armor of Kaguya, Uzumaki, Hagoromo and many other unknown clans. But what was most disturbing were another series of known clan symbols visible on the armors of many of the dead.

"Now we know what happened to the Mountain Clans from the Land of Lightning..." said Itachi worriedly,

"Those fuckers are all dead. Shit, how many of them are there?" asked Takeshi hesitantly,

 _"50,000 atleast"_

The Kingsguard members flinched on hearing Ayato Uzumaki reveal the rough number of the enemy force. The more disturbing fact was that even more of the dead were coming out of the caves putting Ayato's estimate in even further doubt.

A wry smile came upon Itama's lips despite the grim situation as he found himself facing such horror surrounded by Uchiha warriors and Senjus alike.

"Never thought I'd fight death itself with Uchihas" joked Itama, earning an amused smile from Shisui.

"We are blood brothers, Uchiha and Senju. Even Uzumaki, it's right that we face such horror together" said Shisui proudly, making Itama smile as well. Many of the ninjas from all three clans chuckled on that statement while they glanced at each other.

"The fox would be proud" said Itama with a grin,

They watched the army of death being stopped by the barriers the Uzumaki had erected across the city's outskirts. Hundreds were burned alive as they tried to get through only to fail. Yet it didn't stop the enemy as they attacked again and again mindlessly without a care for their lives. Even the mighty barriers of the Uzumaki started to waver against such inhuman force and many ninjas took a step back.

Inhuman screams and battlecries of the enemy hordes resonated across the entire island making many men and women tremble. The desire to flee rose in many hearts on watching death itself marching towards them and all that stood in between were a failing series of barriers.

Despair and doubt started to rage across the allied army until they were all surprised by the sight of their King grabbing a horse and gallop across the entire battleline.

 _"Stand!"_

Naruto's loud and commanding voice resonated across the entire battlefield as every ninja looked at him with many even taking steps forward.

 _"Warriors of Uzu! Warriors of Fire! My ninjas!"_

Galloping across the vast battlefield, Naruto tried his level best to look at as many men as he could hoping to convey some strength in this dark hour. Fear had struck his own heart, yet he knew this madness had to be stopped here lest the entire world burn.

 _"I will not say that I am not afraid, neither are you! Yet we all swore to defend the realms of men! To protect our people! Our Lands! Our Homes!"_

Nagato was stunned to see a direct impact on the morale of the army as the desire to fight was reignited in many eyes despite the sight of the crumbling barriers and roaring army of death.

 _"Against Foes! Against God! Against Death!"_

For a moment the dark battlefield was enlightened as **Dawn** was unleashed by the King and pointed right at the enemy as the barriers were finally destroyed. The roars of the charging enemy army were dwarfed by the ferocious battlecry of the King...

 **"FIGHT! NINJAS OF THE WORLD!"**

The sound of 13,000 swords being unleashed clashed against the inhuman cries of the enemy legions. Naruto gripped his sword firmly as he watched hundreds of more enemies be consumed by various booby traps set by his forces. They were ripped apart by explosions, consumed by hidden swamps, impaled on concealed spikes, trapped in secret barriers.

Yet they kept coming.

Never before had he seen anything like this. So inhuman and out of this world...

His sharingan eyes could already see more than _55000_ dead charging towards his small army as each and every trap laid by the allied ninjas were overwhelmed by the sheer enemy numbers.

As the enemy got closer and closer, Naruto turned towards his ninjas with an ice cold gaze.

"Burn them!''

The entire frontline of the allied army alongwith the King himself performed a rapid set of hand seals as every sensor across the land felt a massive build up of chakra.

 **"Fire Style: Field of Fire!"**

Thousands of ninjas unleashed the most devastating tsunami of fire that was larger than the walls of the city itself and spanning across the entire battlefield. It charged like a raging wave and consumed the entire front line of the enemy.

Naruto heard so many inhuman screams as the entire front line of the enemy army was consumed in flames. But as the tsunami of fire finally died down, he was stunned to see another massive wave that was even bigger than the previous one charge. Gritting his teeth, he raised his sword making an entire new set of ninjas replace the frontal ones who had just launched a great jutsu.

 **"Water Style: Raging Dragons!"**

Through the combined efforts of thousands of ninjas alongwith the King, nearly a hundred monstrous water dragons with deep yellow eyes were created and made to charge towards the unstoppable enemy. Naruto watched the water dragons smash through enemy lines consuming hundreds of dead soldiers with their full might.

Still, they kept coming.

"GIVE THEM A VOLLEY!"

13000 kunai and shuriken laced with explosive tags were unleashed at his command consuming legions of dead in a brutal massacre.

Nagato and his Uzumaki clansmen could not help but gape at the one sided slaughter orchestrated by the King. Every ninja of the King obeyed their leader's command and was fighting with such discipline that the Uzumaki could have never dreamed of. The Uzumaki had tried to overwhelm their enemy with sheer force only to suffer catastrophic losses.

But for the first time, the army of dead was not only being stopped but destroyed by the thousands.

The enemy army had massive numbers on their side but what their warriors lacked was the ability to perform jutsu. A weakness for which they were paying the price in thousands.

Still, they were almost upon the ninja army.

"EARTH!"

Naruto's command brought forward another group of fresh Sarutobi warriors who replaced the water ninjas before them. They were encouraged by the sight of their king performing a similar set of hand seals alongside them...

 **"Earth Style: Earth Spikes!"**

As hundreds more were impaled upon spikes of mud that rose from the ground, from the left flank Shisui finished his move just as Itachi did the same on the right flank.

 **"Wind Style: Wave of Death!"**

 **"Lightning Style: Electromagnetic Murder!"**

With the carnage of wind and lightning attacks unleashed by the Kingsguard members and the continued barrage of kunai being launched under the supervision of Itama Senju and Takeshi, more and more enemies were killed every second.

Despite losing nearly more than 20,000 of their numbers in the massacre...the enemy could not be stopped.

As the enemy were now merely a few hundred feet away from clashing against the ninja army, Naruto turned towards the Uzumaki led by Nagato and Ayato. Hundreds of Uzumaki went through a rapid set of hand seals and slammed their hands on the ground just in time as the enemy horde reached the ninja army.

 **"BARRIER!"**

A large red colored barrier was formed between the enemy army and the ninjas. The dead clashed against the obstacle mercilessly but were stunned when hundreds of them were sent sailing away courtesy of the repelling nature of the barrier.

"SWORDS!"

Nagato and his clansmen twisted their hand seals creating thousands of small holes as King Naruto and his warriors plunged their weapons through the tiny openings and straight into the heads of the dead warriors. Nagato and his clansmen again channeled massive chakra into the barrier making it repel hundreds more of the dead. Again, Naruto and his army of swordsman used the advantage of another set of openings to silence more and more enemies.

Slowly but surely the ninja army marched ahead with the aid of the barrier crushing wave upon wave of enemies mercilessly.

 _"TO THE KING!"_

 _"TO THE KING!"_

 _"TO THE KING!"_

One battlecry started resonated across the entire battlefield as every ninja followed the lead of their King whose command only encouraged them further.

 **"KILL THEM ALL!"**

* * *

Surprise.

Nine figures stood at the edge of the volcano watching their army being pushed back for the first time. Their pale and stoic eyes were consumed in disbelief. Their gaze turned towards the man and woman standing atop one of the rocks, both of them looked intrigued.

 **"The ninjas are rallying to their King"** commented the man,

The lone female of the group narrowed her eyes as her gaze settled upon the boy in golden armor. The sight of him fighting valiantly reminded her of another man with dark hair.

 _Indra's spawn!_

The nine paled eyed warriors flinched on seeing the woman rise from her seat. Her cold gaze promising nothing but slaughter.

 **"My queen"** said the man beside her calmly,

It was enough to make the lone woman stop and look at her companion who was staring at her with his ever stoic gaze.

 **"Let us handle this"** he requested,

She looked at him and then at her nine faithful servants coldly before giving a nod. However, before they could leave to accomplish their task her dangerous eyes flashed wildly in the darkness as she finished a set of hand seals and slammed her hands on the ground.

 **"Summoning Jutsu!"**

* * *

The barrier being continuously used by the ninja army was utterly crushed as a monstrous tidal wave was launched across the entire island. Hundreds of ninjas and dead alike were sent sailing away due to the sheer force of the attack.

When the dust settled, Naruto was stunned to not only see the army of dead retreat in haste but also the arrival of something even more hideous.

In front of him now stood nine warriors on the ground. They were all wearing the same grey armor with strange signs embodied on their chest, their eyes and hair as pale as the moon. In their hands were great white spear shaped weapons and even from this distance Naruto could feel the foul energy in those weapons.

But the most terrifying thing was the monstrous humanoid statue that was as tall as Kurama standing in front of them. On top of the monstrosity stood a man with long pale white hair and pale white eyes. He had colorful markings above his eyebrows and not a shred of emotion on his blank face.

The nine warriors on the ground all spoke as one,

 **"There shall be no dawn for shinobi"**

The humanoid statue gave out a monstrous war cry that brought thousands of ninjas to their knees. The killing intent was so intense and all consuming that many felt their worst nightmare flash before their eyes.

Naruto himself was brought to his knees courtesy of the monstrous power. That thing...

 _He knew what it was!_

To his horror, a group of Akimichi changed into their largest forms that were as large as the statue and rushed towards it with ferocious roar.

 **"NO!"** yelled the King in horror,

The fearless Akimichi giants charged with their staffs ready to destroy the humanoid statue before it wrecked any more havoc on their allies. So focused were they on the statue that they didn't see the other objects sailing towards them.

Shisui watched the nine pale warriors on the ground launch their spears with accurate precision. For all their great size, the Akimichi warrior's armor and skin were sliced apart like a knife carving through butter as the spears grew in size and pierced their chests. Their agony didn't end there as out of the enlarged spears came out a foul stream of energy that started consuming the entire body of the Akimichi fighters at terrifying speed.

In front of the ninja army, the giant Akimichi's fell dead to the ground in thirty seconds with their skin and body mutilated beyond recognition.

Silence reigned across the battlefield until the energy swirling around the Akimichi was consumed inside their dead bodies as the nine pale eyed warriors made a hand seal.

 **"Arise"**

Naruto took a step back when he watched the bodies of the giant Akimichi twitch followed by movement of their dead limbs. Soon enough the giants were getting back on their feet and this time their eyes had lost all light.

 _"What is this?"_ asked Naori in fear,

She was not allowed an answer as the silent man atop the humanoid statue now pointed his finger right at the ninja army.

 **"End their nuisance"** he commanded,

Naruto realized the massive buildup of chakra from the statue and was about to give a warning when he saw the Uzumaki had already realized their threat. Ayato Uzumaki himself ran forward with dozens of his clansmen as they finished a set of hand seals.

 _"FUIN!"_

A massive dark blue barrier rose around the statue and within seconds its interior glowed so brightly akin to a massive explosion that many had to avert their eyes. When the smoke cleared, the Uzumaki were stunned to see the monstrosity still standing alongwith the man atop its head.

 **"Dragons of Death!"** whispered the lone warrior,

From the mouth of the humanoid statue were unleashed a series of dragons that were demonic purple in color with dark eyes. The beasts roared murderously as they charged towards their enemies as thousands of ninjas ran and jumped away for their lives.

Naruto watched dozens of his warriors be consumed by the menacing dragons. Instead of being burnt, it literally tore away the souls of the brave men and women from their bodies leaving behind their lifeless forms. The entire ninja army trembled with every warrior doing their best to avoid their inhuman foe.

The King snarled in fury as he raised his sword and charged.

A large portion of the army followed their leader despite the raging death around them as they all ran towards the monstrous statue. Their former Akimichi comrades were the ones who charged back at them with the intent to butcher them.

Naruto channeled a monstrous amount of chakra in **Dawn** as the first Akimichi came towards him. With a forceful jump, he launched himself in the air and avoided the gigantic hands of the man from crushing him. Landing on the giant's nose, he drove **Dawn** clean through his enemy's forehead. The turned creature screamed in agony as a beaming light was released from the King's blade that dissolved the strange seals on his body making it crash down and never rise again.

From the corner of his eye, Naruto saw Takeshi and Itachi bring down another giant with the help of Itama Senju as the three boys first destroyed the beast's eyes before setting him on fire thereby ending his life.

Shisui drove his ancestral sword, **Fury** , through a giant's head earning a similar effect as that of the King and brought an end to the turned warrior.

 **"FIFTH GATE-OPEN!"**

The pale eyed warriors were stunned when Kagami Uchiha unleashed a powerful wave of chakra from his body. The Kingsguard member's skin turned red and a greenish aura of chakra consumed him completely. Many ninjas gaped at the sheer display of power as Kagami vanished before their eyes. Within seconds, the remaining Akimichi giants screamed in agony as they were hit by hundreds of hyper fast strikes all over their body before being set on fire. The last giant found himself being grabbed by the leg as Kagami threw him straight at the humanoid statue much to the surprise of the man standing on top of it.

The humanoid statue simply tore apart the dead Akimichi warrior with his bare hands before it could crush him, but it was pushed back by several feet due to the sheer force of the blow.

Naruto saw the panicked ninjas regaining some of their lost courage on seeing the display of valor and power by the Kingsguard and Itama Senju. Thousands rallied behind the young boys and the King...

The army of dead again charged from the rear of the humanoid statue led by the nine pale eyed warriors.

Naruto gripped **Dawn** firmly as he charged towards them hearing thousands more follow his lead. Kagami using his power of gates evaporated several lines of dead warriors before they could even blink. The remaining Kingsguard led the ninjas as both armies clashed in a brutal impact sending limbs and blood flying everywhere.

The King alongwith Ayato Uzumaki found themselves soon surrounded by the nine pale eyed warriors.

"Who are you?" demanded Ayato furiously,

 **"Your betters. You both are just lesser sons of greater beings"** spat one of the pale eyed warrior,

Ayato growled before charging at the nearest warrior ignoring Naruto's command to stay back. The Uzumaki leader slashed his sword in a horizontal arc to hack away the head of the nearest pale eyed warrior only for the man to step back easily before clashing his spear shaped weapon against Ayato's blade shattering it to shreds.

The Uzumaki lord could only blink in shock before he was impaled by four spears across his body.

Naruto closed his eyes as he watched the Uzumaki leader fall. The man's temper and impulsiveness lead him to his doom. He saw many of his ninjas were trying desperately to get to him but were being ruthlessly stopped by hordes of dead getting in their way.

 **"Now you die, Indra spawn"** whispered one of the nine, loathing evident in his voice.

They all moved as one launching their spears at the King from all sides only for the master swordsman to twist himself in a full circle with his sword, **Dawn** , clashing against the weapon of his enemies.

They all shattered.

 **"Indra's sword"**

Naruto didn't miss the momentary shock on the faces of his enemies and used that small opportunity to unleash a wave of lightning from his body. He had watched Ayato Uzumaki move against these men, while the Uzumaki leader was foolish in his move he had been fast. However, these men saw the attack coming from a mile away which suggested Naruto that their pale eyes could be a dojutsu. His assumption was proven correct when he heard each and everyone of those bastards roar in agony as the lightning not only hit their bodies but also their precious eyes.

The first two didn't even see the King's sword before it severed their heads from their necks.

Naruto was about to move in against the remaining seven foes when his eyes widened as a massive beam of lightning hit him.

Every ninja watched in horror and despair as the massive lightning beam launched by the humanoid statue hit their King.

Naruto was sent flying away several hundred feet before he landed with a bone crushing thud.

The fighting momentarily stopped as the young Uchiha lay motionlessly in the small stream of water. A painful scream escaped his lips yet his hands still held on to his sword. His vision was dark and hazy, his chest on fire and blood oozing out of his mouth.

Gold flew like drops of blood from the chest of the dying King as his famous golden armor melted.

He heard the faint sound of approaching footsteps before a hazy vision of that lone warrior who had been standing atop the humanoid statue appeared before him. The man gazed at him with cold apathetic eyes with his spear in hand ready to strike.

Naruto weakly tried to swing his sword but the pale eyed man kicked the weapon away and broke the King's wrist in the process eliciting another painful scream from the Uchiha.

 **"Kimimaro Otsutsuki"** said the man, as he raised his spear.

A series of whistling sound was heard and Naruto hazily saw the man called Kimimaro jump away.

 _"I will kill you if touch my son!"_ snarled Naori murderously,

Kimimaro narrowed his eyes at the woman who was now holding **Dawn** in her hands. The level of hate and anger in her eyes was amusing to see though.

 **"Foolish woman"**

Raising his left hand he unleashed dozens of bone shards from his palm that flew straight towards Naori. To his surprise, the woman fired dark lightning bolts from her free hand that destroyed the bone projectiles. Kimimaro gritted his teeth as he rushed in.

Naori barely had time to raise **Dawn** as the Otsutsuki brought down his spear. She was nearly brought to her knees by the sheer power of the man but unlike others who had their weapons destroyed against those spears, **Dawn** held.

Another clone of Naori emerged from the ground behind Kimimaro but before the clone could strike down its foe, it was impaled by several more bone shards launched from the man's back.

With his free hand, Kimimaro delivered a devastating strike to Naori's shoulder sending her sailing away. The Uchiha matriarch lost all sensation in her left arm and had only enough time to dodge thereby avoiding beheading as Kimimaro started slashing his spear weapon while also launching bone shards from his body.

The Otsutsuki was surprised on seeing the Uchiha skillfully dodging his strikes. This woman knew she could not match his physical prowess and was using her speed to overcome that. Her skill with **Dawn** was impressive as well as she was perfectly able to deflect dozens of bone projectiles that Kimimaro tried to skewer her with.

But her eyes widened when Kimimaro smirked.

Naori jumped in wildly as Kimimaro launched dozens of bone shards straight at the wounded King. She gave out a silent scream as she felt several of those bone shards pierce her body.

Kimimaro watched the Uchiha fall gracelessly on the crimson ground. She coughed blood and desperately tried to move but her wounds were grave and she lost her sword as she crashed.

He walked towards her but was forced to stop when he felt his senses tingle in warning.

His eyes zoomed in on the location from where he had felt that sensation and he froze.

The wounded King was sprawled across the small stream of water that had now turned crimson with his blood. His life was fading yet his eyes burned with such **_hate_** that Kimimaro had only seen in Indra.

The army of dead froze and the pale eyed warriors blanched when their commander was set ablaze in black flames. Kimimaro's horrified scream tore through the battlefield as the flames engulfed him. His pale eyed comrades rushed to his aide and slammed a seal on the man's burning body which quickly doused the flames but could not stop the severe burns from spreading across the Otsutsuki's body. As they dragged the now unconscious Otsutsuki away, three more of the pale eyed warriors were set ablaze in merciless dark flames. But unlike before, their remaining comrades did not stop to help them and dragged only their commander to safety leaving their fellow fighters to die a painful death.

Tears of blood fell from his eyes as he crawled towards her. He could feel death knocking at his door but all he could think about was her...he had to get to her!

With the last of his strength he turned her towards him only to see her eyes already half closed.

A smile came upon her face as she barely managed to lay her trembling bloodstained palm on his cheek. She wiped the tears of blood falling from his eyes and opened her lips.

He watched her struggle to breathe desperately and try to muster the last of her strength.

Her eyes so similar to a person he once knew, so full of warmth and love.

 _"Be happy...my son"_

The spark of life vanished from her eyes as she now stared blankly at him.

His heart shattered into millions of pieces and he wept for the first time in years. He could hear the screams of his men as they died by the thousands, the inhuman screeches of the dead as they destroyed the living, the menacing power of that cursed statue.

It all felt so distant now...

 _The last thing he saw was the silhouette of the soul stealing purple dragon as it consumed him._


	29. Battle of Uzu

**Thank you for the support. Hope you continue it.**

 **Music Recommendation: Sauron Theme/ Faramir Theme (Both available on Youtube)**

 **Chapter 29**

 **Battle of Uzu**

* * *

(Four Days Later)

Shisui Uchiha, Captain of the once powerful Kingsguard force stood in the Uzumaki leader's solar. His eyes a mirror of broken faith and despair as he watched Mito Uzumaki desperately try to save their King. They had watched him fall and be consumed by the soul stealing dragon. They had watched Naori Uchiha sacrifice her life while trying to save him...

Yet unlike all who perished before the dragon, their King yet breathed.

But what life was it when one was deprived of all senses and reduced to a catatonic state?

 _Hirashiman lost._

 _10,000 ninjas dead._

 _Ayato Uzumaki murdered._

 _Nagato Uzumaki brutally injured._

 _Shin Aburame missing._

The enemy legions breaching Uzu's outer perimeters and now marching towards the last stronghold of man on this island nation.

All that stood between them was the strongest Castle of the world and 3000 fighters.

For four days, they had fought and held the legions of dead at bay buying precious time for thousands of Uzumaki civilians to flee on Royal ships. Yet more remained but the ninjas had no more blood left to sacrifice. Watching their comrades, friends and family die before them only to come back again with dead eyes had a direct impact on the morale of any man.

Watching their King fall had crushed any hopes of victory.

As the highest ranking officer, he could have ordered his remaining troops to abandon Uzu. Nearly 6000 men had died on Hirashiman alone under the merciless army of the dead and that monstrous statue. Another 4000 fighters had to lay down their lives in a fighting retreat from Hirashiman to the final defense of Uzu's outer perimeters.

Despite the chaos and death, he had managed to retrieve Naori's body and gave her a quick funeral. It was not worthy of someone like her to be given such a short and hasty final parting but it was all Shisui could do to make sure she didn't rise as one of _them_.

Her ashes now contained in a jar placed near the King's bed.

"Every man able to fight is being mustered to fight"

Itama Senju's voice did little to bring Shisui out of his despair. He had failed in his duty to protect his King, his people and that burden was heavy for him to bear.

"How much longer before the last civilians are evacuated?" asked Itachi bitterly,

"Another few hours" answered Itama sadly,

"We don't have enough men to hold them off for so long!" spat Takeshi furiously,

As the Kingsguard members argued among themselves, Itama saw the despair in Shisui's eyes as he stared at Naruto's wounded form sleeping in the bed. He laid a comforting hand on the Uchiha's shoulder..

"Who am I, Senju?" asked Shisui miserably,

" _Our Captain_. The one who kept us together when all was lost, the one who chose not to abandon the Uzumaki, and the one who has not deserted us" answered Itama proudly, never could he have dreamed of a day when he would say such words to any Uchiha.

But Shisui had held them together and showed leadership when they wanted it most.

"Do you trust me?" questioned Shisui doubtfully, as he remembered the thousands who died following his orders.

It was Itachi, Kagami and Takeshi who stepped around their friend...

"To death"

Shisui took some comfort from their faith and loyalty knowing they would prove their words if needed. His eyes shifted towards the sky full of darkness and the distant presence of the enemy marching towards them.

Where were the dragons? Where were those roars?

The era of ninjas was coming to an end...

Young boys and old men not worthy of battle could be seen arming themselves, their fear and despair alongwith grim determination felt by all.

Two swords were presented before him, their names as famous and ancient as the Uchiha themselves.

 **Dawn and Fury.**

He caught Mito's gaze as his comrades fastened his armor across his body. Taking the two holy swords in his hands, Shisui and the young boys around him exchanged one final glance with the Uzumaki matriarch.

No words were said.

Mito watched the boys march away to what was most certainly their death.

* * *

The last of the defenders gathered around the formidable Castle Walls of Uzu. They were a strange group with ninjas, civilians, merchants, old men and young boys all standing together in this final hour knowing their end was inevitable.

Fear and despair gripped their hearts fiercely, yet the desire to save their families so that they may get a chance to survive this doom kept them standing even in the face of such calamity.

Shisui stared at the lot.

 _3000 against death itself._

They were all staring at him, hoping that perhaps he could give them something to cling to. It could not be hope for Shisui himself had none, but he could give them something else.

He could give them...

Uchiha, Senju, Uzumaki, Sarutobi, Inuzuka, Aburame and even Yamanaka. Great enemies of past now devoid of that petty hate and rivalry knowing something evil was coming for them all.

"We cannot stop them forever" said Hiruzen Sarutobi, a young boy of nine and son of Sasuke Sarutobi. It was a miracle he survived so long but the little monkey was strong.

He looked up when their Captain himself stepped forward and knelt to Hiruzen's smaller height placing a hand on his shoulder.

"I know" agreed Shisui,

"We should have never come here" said Hiruzen sadly, as he remembered watching two of his cousins die before him.

"Maybe. But we are here now, it is true that we have lost so much but everyone of us that died here saved three lives atleast. It's like the _First war for Dawn_ , little monkey. Darkness and danger had plagued the world back then and our ancestors must have felt what we are feeling now. Even they would have doubted that light would ever come back in their lives. Winter came for them just like it is coming for us..." said Shisui calmly,

"Then how did they win?" asked Hiruzen curiously, and Shisui saw everyone was listening to their conversation quite attentively.

" _They never gave up_. They kept on fighting even when all seemed lost, they kept on moving forward even in the face of death, they kept on struggling because they held on to something" answered Shisui, as he looked at all the fighters.

Itama felt tears prickle at the corner of his eyes, a feeling which was shared by many as their faint sniffing reached him.

"What are we holding on to, Captain?" asked another young Senju,

Shisui stared at the royal ships onto which the last of the Uzumaki civilians were boarding. His men caught his gaze and there were many who grimly smiled as they realized the meaning.

''We are fighting for something _good_. We are fighting for those who cannot defend themselves, for their tomorrow we give our today. It is a selfless act and something which the enemy will never understand. They cannot see that despite all the misery there is still some _good_ left in this world. And it is _worth_ fighting for..." urged Shisui passionately,

Tears fell from Hiruzen's eyes but alongwith them also came a proud smile. He watched his Captain stand and unleash **Dawn** and **Fury** at the same time, the moment forever becoming immortal in Hiruzen's heart.

 **"Fight, little monkey. Fight for Spring..."**

* * *

The ground again trembled as heavy snows fell from the dark skies shrouding the devastated lands in a strange picture of beauty and horror. In the far away distance, Shisui saw a wave of darkness steadily marching towards them now that no opposition stood in their way. The last of the outer perimeter defenders had held their post to death buying precious time for the civilians to flee.

They should have brought more ships because evacuating a large nation like Uzu with thousands of civilians and wounded fighters at such a short notice was nigh impossible. Shisui had insisted for their wounded King to be on the first ships to leave but Mito had warned him of Naruto's fragile state and advised against it. But now there was no chance and the King had to be evacuated regardless of his medical state.

The only reason they had even been able to last so long was the fact that the Uzumaki clan had created unbreakable barriers across their sea borders preventing enemy fleets from surrounding the main island of Uzu.

Centuries old and strong barriers made through blood sacrifices were impossible to break even for an army of death and the enemy's strongest trump card, that cursed statue could not be launched between the sea. It had allowed the royal fleets to evacuate almost the entire remaining population of Uzu that was still alive to the mainlands. Those who remained were being ferried away on the last ships with only one ship left in reserve for Shisui and his forces to board.

If they survived.

The fact that he had only asked for one ship to be spared for his men was enough to ascertain how many he expected to survive the coming battle.

Still, they were not hopeless as the Uzumaki had built their castle in the image of a monstrous fortress.

Surrounded by deep moats on all sides, it had innumerable hidden barriers and traps spread across its terrain. There was only one gate for entrance and it was heavily protected by Shisui's forces. The keep where Naruto was being treated by Mito was nearly seven floors high and on every lower level there were battle stations from where archers and trained ninjas could rain hell upon any invaders. The Castle walls were made up of strong stones which had powerful seals engraved in them. Not only did it prevent anyone including ninjas from literally scaling the walls, but could also resist ninjutsu, explosions and even repel enemy forces.

Yet such protective measures were not enough.

But it was all Shisui had.

His men shivered as the cold only grew more harsher and dangerous threatening to consume their weakest. It was not natural and Shisui knew those pale eyed bastards were definitely behind this phenomenon.

Some of the men who had been near the King during his fall muttered a name called **Otsutsuki.**

Shisui did not fully know if these strangers were actually descendants of Kaguya, but they were powerful and dangerous which was enough for him to be wary.

The enemy was now visible and Shisui could not hold back a flinch as he saw thousands of his former ninjas were now marching in the front. Brave men and women turned by the cruelty of the Otsutsuki, their corpses mutilated and forced to fight against their comrades. Behind them came thousands upon thousands of more dead Uzumaki and warriors from Land of Lightning. Even more shocking were the legions of new white haired humanoid warriors dressed in shinobi armor. Those troops were never before seen by Shisui in any of the battles but his sharp eyes didn't miss those warriors alone numbered close to 150,000 alone. Combine that with the remaining forces of the dead, his 3000 fighters were up against a force nearly _250,000_ strong.

Never in the history of the elemental nations had such a monstrous army been seen before.

"There's plenty for us all"

Shisui blinked on Takeshi's boisterous words but on watching the remaining fighters chuckle at the boy's remark made him give him a thankful nod.

"Are those white haired bastards out there?" asked Hiruzen eagerly, as he wanted nothing more than to kill one of those monsters.

For his remark, he earned a light bop on the head from Itachi.

"Become a little taller, _midget_. Then we'll think about letting you fight one of them" teased Itachi,

"He's right, _little Saru_. Leave those monsters to the grown ups" boasted Takeshi, making Hiruzen scowl.

"Aren't you supposed to be with the King? They call your Kingsguard for a reason" protested Hiruzen, desperate for a chance to be allowed to battle those who killed one of his cousins.

"Our king wants us here" said Kagami seriously,

They were all silenced by the deafening roars of the enemy army as they approached closer. Shisui walked through the tall 100 feet walls offering what little encouragement to the men before the battle began.

He raised **Dawn** commanding the men to get ready when he spotted the first enemy wave about to charge.

In the blink of an eye they roared and marked the beginning of the **Battle of Uzu.**

"Get Ready!" roared Shisui, and heard the familiar sound of kunai, shuriken and arrows being readied.

He watched in grim satisfaction as the legions of dead warriors were trapped in numerous barriers that arose to defend the home of the Uzumaki. Hundred were burned, vaporized, sliced apart and thrown away.

Three times the enemy charged and three times they were thrown back with nearly 4000 of their own dying in the failed attempts.

" _Is this it?_ Is this all you can fucking throw at us, **you bastards!** " taunted Miyami Uzumaki, wife of Nagato Uzumaki.

With Nagato wounded, Ayato dead and Mito busy treating Naruto, Miyami was the last Uzumaki leader still left alive and was now commanding the last of her clan's fighters.

Shisui gripped his swords tightly on hearing that blatant provocation. The Uzumaki were certainly rash even in such situation and it was about to cost them dearly as the enemy army parted. His eyes widened when he saw an extremely beautiful woman with pale white hair and skin as radiant as the moon come forward. Her beauty taking away the breath of every man and many women, but Shisui was mesmerized by her eyes.

She raised her hand right towards the barriers...

 **"Shinra Tensei"**

Snow was blown away alongwith the land it once stained as a monstrous and invisible force of nature clashed with the barriers. It sent a monstrous shockwave that had many civilian and young boys flying away to their deaths. The ninjas only managed to keep their footing on the walls due to their chakra and could only watch in despair as the barriers were utterly annihilated.

From the enemy army one chant arose...

 _"The White Queen"_

The abominations cheered in ghastly and foul language as they watched their leader about to raise her hand again only to be forced to deflect a spear that was about to behead her. Cold eyes narrowed at the form of Shisui Uchiha who glared back at her defiantly.

Shisui blinked in surprise when both **Dawn** and **Fury** started shaking as a strange light glowed from the ancient swords. **Dawn** was rumored to be made by Indra himself with the chakra of the Ten Tails, while **Fury** was also said to be made by Indra's eldest son and rumored to have the chakra of many lost tailed beasts in it. Shisui felt an inconceivable urge burn through his mind as the ancient power in those weapons compelled him. He brought both swords high in the air as a beam of lightning was unleashed across the dark skies.

The enemy queen took a step back and her eyes widened when that monstrous beam of lightning came down right at her. At the last second, she dodged but it only left her forces open to bear the attack.

Shisui watched the woman appear at a certain distance and screeched on seeing thousands of her warriors charred to death courtesy of **Dawn** and **Fury**.

A strange chakra force spread through Shisui's body courtesy of the swords. One of them was wild and unforgiving, the other cold and ruthless.

 _Indra and Indranil._

He didn't know why those names were whispered in his head but he felt the power of these two entities flow through him.

And for the first time he saw the hint of fear and rage in the enemy queen's face as she moved back within her army lines with haste.

The ninjas cheered for the first time in battle and not so soon as the next moment the enemy army gave their own murderous roar and charged.

 _"Prepare to FIRE!"_ yelled Shisui,

The dead charged uncaring of the numerous traps that shredded them, made them fall into trenches or electrocuted them. There was no emotion or feeling left in them except for the unending desire to kill at their master's command.

Ruthlessly they overran the last of the traps and now approached the dense moats surrounding the Uzumaki Castle. Hundreds of them jumped into the dangerous waters only to sink instantly as the hidden barriers sucked them deep within.

 _"Set them alight!"_ commanded Shisui,

Hundreds of fireballs soared high in the sky from the top of the Castle walls before plunging mercilessly into the enemy horde. The screams of hundreds of dead could be heard across the entire island as they were burned alive.

Shisui instantly turned towards the upper level battle stations where some of his best marksmen were waiting.

 **"NAMIKAZE! FIRE!"**

The highly trained marksmen unleashed dozens of volleys of kunai laced with explosives shredding rows upon rows of enemy forces.

 **"VOLLEY!"** yelled Miyami Uzumaki defiantly,

The last of the Uzumaki civilian archers raised their weapons and darkened the skies once again before deafening the lands once again through explosions as the arrows went off killing a thousand enemy soldiers.

Shisui cringed when the enemy had enough and launched their own attack. While most of the projectiles could not scale the high walls, a few launched by the strongest dead warriors scaled the heights. His heart broke when he watched a young girl of nine get hit by a kunai, the bow in her hand fell as she crashed brutally down the walls. She was not alone in meeting her end as a dozen men and women joined her in death by falling to their doom on either side of the walls.

Steeling himself, Shisui continued commanding his forces and kept on ordering volley after volley of arrows and ninja weapons shredding as many enemy as he could. But for every thirty the enemy lost, two of Shisui's own died as well.

He narrowed his eyes when he saw a large horde of enemy forces charge towards the main gate.

"Miyami! The gates!" he warned, making the Uzumaki woman realize the threat.

"Barrier teams! _BRACE!_ " warned Miyami,

Majority of the Uzumaki ninjas were dead thanks to the months of fighting and the series of recent defeats, what few were left were now tasked with maintaining the seals and barriers preventing the enemy from breaching the gates.

"Itachi, 100 already" boasted Takeshi, as he continued launching multiple attacks of shurikenjutsu.

"254" answered Itachi calmly, as he shredded another dozen with his kunai.

" _Smartass_ " muttered Takeshi glumly, making Shisui chuckle.

 **"SHISUI!"**

The Captain was alerted by Kagami's warning and his eyes widened as dozens of pillars rose from the earth. It was a clear manipulation of earth style and everyone of them nearly carried two dozen enemy warriors on it as they soared higher towards Shisui's fighters. From the corner of his eye, the Uchiha saw some of the pale eyed bastards standing in the rear ranks with their hands on the ground.

 _"MELEE!"_ ordered Shisui,

To his surprise, his childhood friends were the first to react as they all jumped across the wall to land perfectly on the rising earthen pillars. Not even the enemy expected such a suicide move but Takeshi's blood was up and he roared savagely with his sword making quick work of enemies around him.

Itachi and Kagami were much less vocal in their own battle but were equally ruthless.

It brought a thin smile on Shisui's lips despite the fact that he saw nearly a dozen more earthen pillars holding hundreds of enemies rise from the ground to breach his high walls.

Bringing his chakra glowing swords forward, he unleashed devastating lightning beams from **Dawn** and **Fury**. Each and everyone of the earthen pillars was shattered as they were not able to stand the ancient power sending hundreds of enemies crushing to their deaths again. Even so the enemy tried their tactic again and again, but the Kingsguard held the line.

For the first time hope was about to surge through the defenders until a familiar roar was heard across the battlefield.

Shisui gave out his fiercest battlecry and brought both his swords forward to launch a devastating beam of lightning just in time as the cursed humanoid statue launched its own similar attack. Painful light bathed the entire island making the dead and living both screech in pain as the two forces of nature collided with each other.

Shisui coughed blood as he felt a large chunk of his chakra being consumed by the two holy swords at a rapid pace but it didn't matter as he saw the enemy attack was neutralized. If possible the statue became terribly angry...

It charged forward with a thunderous roar uncaring of the fact that it crushed hundreds of its own forces.

Many defenders abandoned their posts and fled as they saw the monstrosity headed right for their walls. Every attack they launched never made a scratch and only seemed to make the beast more angrier as it increased its pace.

Itama Senju gasped in horror as he saw Shisui charge with his two ancient Uchiha swords.

The Captain of the Kingsguard army jumped off the high walls to land on one of the elevated earthen pillars. Fearlessly, he hopped across different earthen pillars to charge straight towards the approaching humanoid monster. Three shadows flanked his sides and he quickly tossed one of his holy swords to one of his friends.

Together, the four Kingsguard charged fearlessly towards the roaring humanoid monster. Shisui raised _Dawn_ , Itachi raised _Fury_ , Takeshi unleashed a series of _explosives_ and Kagami shrouded himself in the chakra flames of the _Sixth Gate_.

 **"SONS OF INDRA! CHARGE!"**

Shisui's ferocious roar resonated across the entire battlefield as the four Kingsguard clashed against the humanoid statue.

A blinding light exploded on the darkened island followed by an inhuman screech.

Both armies watched in stunned fascination and horror as Shisui alongwith Itachi plunged their holy swords into the statue's eyes. Takeshi quickly enshrouded the beast in explosive tags just in time as Kagami roared and connected his brutal kick to the beast's face.

Hiruzen watched in awe as the humanoid monster's face cracked slightly as it went sailing through the air. The statue flew away and crashed several hundred feet away crushing thousands more of its own forces.

Its thunderous crash not only shook the land but also the resolve of the enemy army.

So frozen were the dead that they were not ready when Indra's four descendants unleashed their rage on them.

 **"FIRE AND BLOOD!"** roared Shisui,

 _Dawn_ and _Fury_ spewed forth a wave of poisonous and malicious chakra that burned alive any unfortunate soul that got in its way. Kagami descended in the midst of the enemy hordes alongside Takeshi as both warriors started butchering their foes mercilessly.

Shisui and Itachi joined their friends and both warriors unleashed a genjutsu shrouding the battlefield in grim darkness.

The dead screamed as they were killed by the hundreds.

For the first time, panic and confusion spread across the enemy force which only exploded ten fold when the crashed humanoid statue's face developed several more cracks before it vanished in a puff of smoke.

The ninja defenders could only watch in stunned fascination as the legions of dead...

 _Ran._

Cheers and relieved cries were heard across the entire castle as every defender watched the enemy break ranks and retreat hurriedly. Their eyes narrowed down on the four young boys that were soaked in blood and guts, their bloodstained swords the only support holding their panting forms standing.

Shisui grimly smiled as he watched their enemies run for their lives having lost thousands in their failed attempt to breach the Uzumaki Castle.

But the smile vanished and was replaced by fear when the ground again trembled.

A monstrous red haired monkey and a menacing white horse appeared in a puff of smoke. The thing both beasts had in common apart from their demonic eyes and stained skin full of seals was one dangerous factor.

 _Four and Five Tails respectively._

"Tailed beasts..." said Takeshi nervously,

"Now we know what happened to some of the fox's kin" realized Itachi grimly,

"What do we do?" asked Kagami seriously,

They got their answer when they saw Itama Senju and Miyami Uzumaki jump from the high Castle walls, both warriors already performing a set of hand seals.

 **"Summoning Jutsu"**

Four giant toads dressed in battle armor and carrying heavy swords and shields appeared on the battlefield with Itama sitting on top of the tallest and strongest one. Miyami Uzumaki was also sitting atop a dangerous crab summon.

"Hop on!" yelled Itama with a grin,

Shisui brought forth his own raven and climbed atop while ordering his fellow Uchiha to join Itama's three vacant toads. They all quickly mounted their beasts and saw the twin tailed beasts forming a dangerous ball of chakra.

"Bijudama, brace!" warned Miyami Uzumaki in alarm, her hands already flowing through a set of hand seals.

Two massive tailed beast bombs flew straight at the Castle but the Uzumaki woman was well prepared as she clasped her hands together after finishing her hand seals.

 **"Sealing Style: Vanishing Barrier!"**

A strange vacuum shaped barrier rose in between the path of the Bijudama and absorbed them completely. Just when Shisui was about to breathe a sigh of relief, Miyami flicked her wrists and pointed her palms straight at the tailed beasts.

His eyes widened when the vacuum shaped barrier appeared in front of the two stunned beasts and from them emerged two Bijudama...

The tailed beasts were shrouded in their own attacks and thousands of dead warriors around them were vaporized instantly as the Bijudama went off. The gigantic beasts screamed which earned a grim smile from Shisui as he looked at his comrades.

Never underestimate an Uzumaki.

 **"CHARGE! TAKE THEM HEAD ON!"** commanded the Kingsguard Captain,

The summoned creatures and their riders charged as one towards the recovering tailed beasts. The dead legions took several steps back on watching the monstrous toads and crab coming towards them. Just when they were about to jump on the tailed beasts a white flash happened.

Shisui flinched when the White Queen appeared again with murder in her eyes.

 **"Shinra Tensai"**

He barely managed to jump off his raven and avoided being hit by that invisible force. Unfortunately, his friends and comrades were not so lucky and took the full brunt of the attack making them go flying away.

Shisui grunted as he crashed on the ground and felt the bitter sound of bones cracking. Regardless, he painfully got to his feet with **Dawn** in his hands and found himself facing the enemy queen.

He fell to his knees when that inhuman killing intent washed over him like a tidal wave. A painful scream escaped his lips as he felt his darkest fears and nightmares coming to life. So much death, despair and suffering...

 _He could not rise...he didn't want to rise..._

The urge to fall and end this misery spread through his heart. He saw the queen walk towards him and her strange eyes held in them a victorious look.

It made her even more surprised when the bone shaped spear that she tried to stab her foe with was blocked.

She dodged the lethal slash aimed at her throat and could not help but watch Shisui in morbid curiosity. Very few could resist her power, for him to even be able to stand pointed towards an iron will.

"Why are you killing my people?" demanded Shisui, even as he fought a duel against the strange but beautiful woman.

Despite all his talents and experience, Shisui felt he was being mocked as his opponent evaded his attacks with childish ease and made it look as if she was toying with him.

 **"Humanity is not my enemy. It never was but shinobi are..."** answered the queen,

''Who are you?" asked Shisui hesitantly,

 **"The one that holds the divine soul of the almighty goddess within herself. I am her vessel and through me she shall rule once more"**

Shisui was brought to his knees when a monstrous beam of chakra was released by the queen which spread across the skies.

 **"Instead of a foolish King, you will have a QUEEN!"**

Shisui trembled as he recognized the demonic face that spread across the skies. He had read about her once and the image matched exactly with the one mentioned in the ancient Uchiha scriptures.

 **"Dark and beautiful! Stronger than any being on this earth!"**

 _Kaguya's Otsutsuki's_ demonic face terrified Shisui to his very core as every part of his body trembled under the crushing power that washed over him threatening to crush him like an insect.

 **"All shall love and fear her!"**

The queen's eyes widened and the image of Kaguya shattered in the skies when a beam of energy was unleashed from **Dawn** and hit the woman head on. The wounded tailed beasts vanished and the army of dead froze as their queen was sent flying away.

Shisui lost his grip on **Dawn** as the sword burned up with such energy unleashing a wave of monstrous chakra that literally set aflame thousands of enemy soldiers unfortunate enough to be near it. Shisui saw the image of an older version of Naruto emerge from the sword and glow so brightly that it nearly rendered him blind.

The ethereal being glowed in pure chakra that was so full of light and darkness. His menacing red eyes glaring murderously at the white queen...

A beam of chakra was unleashed by the mighty warrior that hit the white queen making her scream in agony as she was sent flying away once again.

The armies of dead recklessly charged towards the ethereal man in a desperate attempt to save their queen only to be sent flying away as the simmering Uchiha launched a massive shockwave before his form vanished.

The warrior vanished away leaving **Dawn** behind.

But the damage was done.

Thousands of enemy warriors were slaughtered.

The enemy queen was howling in pure agony as she was dragged away with her army retreating alongside her.

Shisui gingerly grasped the ancient weapon of the Uchiha as his friends came around him. Their faces as pale as him for they all could still not believe what they just saw.

"Was that?" asked Takeshi,

"Yes" answered Itachi,

Shisui had always wondered as to why strange phenomenon always kept on happening around Naruto. The first being the incident when the night he became a Kinslayer, the entire Uchiha temple and those in it had burned to death except for Naruto.

The second was the time when the soul stealing purple dragon launched by the humanoid statue that had killed every ninja that came in its way was not able to kill the King. Sure, the king was wounded and might not survive his injuries but his soul was not sucked away.

Looking at **Dawn** , Shisui now knew the reason behind those strange happenings.

 _My lord Indra, you have not abandoned your sons._

* * *

Shisui came running out of the keep when he heard the news. The last remnants of civilians and surviving fighters were already being loaded on the final ships that were leaving Uzu. They might have managed to repel the enemy once but they would come back again and this time the ninjas did not have the strength to stop them. The Castle walls were crumbling and if that monstrous statue alongside the tailed beasts in the enemy's possession launched an attack, then it would all be over in moments.

What had broken Shisui's heart was the fact that there was not enough room on the ships left for him to take everyone.

It was why he was even more heartbroken when he watched the last surviving Senju and Uzumaki warriors solemnly marching towards the Castle gates under the command of one leader.

"Itama!Stop!" commanded Shisui,

The Kingsguard member approached the Senju warrior mounted atop a smaller version of his toad battle partner. On seeing him approach, Hashirama's youngest sibling gave him a small smile.

"You cannot do this, Itama! You are the Queen's brother, I _forbid_ you" said Shisui fiercely, as his friends and fellow Uchiha came around him.

"There is not enough room for us all on the ships, Captain. Besides, someone needs to hold the enemy back for our people to escape" explained Itama patiently,

"Then I will stay. You are too valuable to sacrifice your life here" said Shisui seriously,

"No. You are a good leader, Captain. The men need you and I don't think our King will survive if he wakes up only to see another one of his loved ones dead. There was once a time when I used to be afraid of battles, afraid of leading my men, but fighting alongside you all gave me courage and the confidence I lacked my entire life" explained Itama proudly,

"Don't do this, Itama. Your sister and brothers need you" pleaded Kagami, earning a bittersweet smile from the Senju.

"They will understand my desire to defend this nation till the end. This is the home of the Uzumaki and Senju as well, the land of my grandmother, I will gladly give my life to defend it and our people" said Itama honestly,

Shisui opened his lips but no words came out when he saw the look in Itama's eyes. The bitter truth of not being in any position to save everyone, the hard fact that someone had to stay behind to keep the enemy at bay haunted his heart.

For all his desire to stop this, he knew Itama was a fine leader having proven himself on various battlefields.

Most of all, every Senju and Uzumaki had great pride in their eyes as they followed after their young leader in their final battle. No other man could lead these brave men and women better in this hour than Itama...

"Our people love you, Itama. They shall never forget the sacrifice of you and your men" promised Shisui,

Itama's eyes slightly widened when he saw Hiruzen Sarutobi kneel before him with tears in his eyes. The young monkey offered him a final salute which Itama returned with a nod, his comrades were also stunned when every Uchiha, Namikaze, Sarutobi, Inuzuka, Yamanaka, Aburame and other fighters knelt.

They all offered the marching warriors a final salute.

A faint smile came on Itama's lips. All his life he had been doubted by people, he was not as strong as his siblings and had always lacked in leading their people. But now in this final hour, he had earned the genuine respect from not just his own people but former foes as well.

His sacrifice would only serve to make these ties of blood more stronger between their people.

He looked at his 600 men that had decided to follow him and steeled himself when they all gave him a nod.

The gates of the castle opened up and in the far away distance could be seen the disturbing presence of the regrouping enemy army. Shisui watched Itama mounted on his toad cross the gates with his men.

When the final warrior stepped outside, Itama who was at the lead of the small force heard the sound of gates closing.

Taking a deep breath, he unleashed his sword as his toad summon enlarged itself to its original size. Two more large battle toads carrying Senju riders marched alongside him. Itama summoned forth another army of smaller toads and soon enough his small force was mounted atop the reptile species.

He raised his sword high in the air as his warriors aligned themselves around him with their battle toads.

 _"For Family. For Duty. For Honor"_

The Uzumaki roared in approval when he said their clan's prized words. With a resigned smile, Itama glanced at his own Senju clansmen and saw them grimly smiling at him. This time, his roar was joined by them all and resonated across the entire island of Uzu.

 **"OURS IS THE FURY!"**

* * *

One of the Otsutsuki warriors came forward towards the frontlines. He narrowed his eyes on seeing a small force of Senjus and Uzumaki warriors mounted atop battle toads charging towards their army.

He raised his hand commanding the disorganized army of dead to reform their lines.

His eyes zeroed down on the form of the young boy charging atop the largest toad. Flags and banners of antlers, dragons and whirlpools were fluttering high in the sky.

The wounded enemy queen snarled in rage on seeing the approaching ninja force.

Getting to her feet, she stared at the one leading this last charge.

A battlecry left her lips.

* * *

A few miles off the coast of Uzu stood a lone figure on the deck of the last ship retreating away from the ruined islands.

Shisui watched a monstrous explosion akin to a Bijudama envelop the island of Uzu.

A lone tear fell down his cheeks...

 _And his world turned red._


	30. Remembrance

**Thank you for the support. Hope you continue it.**

 **Chapter 30**

 **Remembrance**

* * *

(Land of Fire)

Daen Nara had always perceived the Uchiha to be a fierce and cold hearted clan. Even their pride and arrogance were as famous as their legendary power. What he had never seen before was a _broken_ dragon.

It was the sight that greeted him and Sakumo alongwith their hundreds ninjas as they watched a frozen Tajima standing at the banks of the Naka river holding two jars in his hands.

Two jars that contained the destruction of the man's family and that of the Land of Fire.

"The King is dead"

Sakumo's sad but firm declaration was met with many looks of despair and anxiety. Since the last few days, they had started receiving thousands of Uzumaki refugees that were being evacuated by Naruto.

Tajima had been confused as to why his son would decide to help a clan that was never an ally of the Uchiha. But knowing the boy's kindness it was something that he could possibly be moved to do. However, when the Uzumaki survivors mentioned the horrors destroying their homeland and most importantly the defeat of King Naruto, the Uchiha clan head had not believed them.

Up until the point where hundreds of jars containing ashes of fallen Uchiha warriors reached the Fire Capital and in them were those of King Naruto and Naori Uchiha. The fact that they were sent by none other than Shisui Uchiha alongwith a somber letter left little doubt as to the fact that the Uzumaki were telling the truth.

The Otsutsuki were back with an army of dead intent on destroying the world of men.

And they had killed the Dragon King.

Naruto was the only reason the former enemy ninja clans were staying united, now with most of the elite Kingsguard warriors wiped out and the King dead...the alliances were on the brink of destruction.

The Uchiha were badly hit as many of their elite fighters had went with their King only to come back in ashes with him and Naori. Now, an ancient enemy was marching towards the Land of Fire with few reports even saying that they had already started attacking the coastal cities and villages.

With no news of Madara or even the queen, Tajima was the last capable and official leader left behind by the deceased King to defend their homeland.

The said man was not loved by many because of his ruthlessness but he was feared too.

Daen and Sakumo stepped towards the veteran Uchiha knowing they had to keep this peace standing until atleast Madara or the Queen arrived with their armies. It could also spark another war since the Uchiha's would now want Madara to rule since his brother was dead, the Senjus however were not entirely comfortable with Madara and would likely push for Tsunade to rule since she was the deceased King's widow. It could very well start another bitter civil war.

"Lord Tajima" said Sakumo gently, and saw the man still staring at the two jars of ashes with a broken gaze.

"The Naka river has always been the final burial site for my ancestors. My fathers and his fathers before him, my three sons and my siblings. They all lie here" whispered Tajima, his voice heavy with regret and sadness.

"Now it shall be the grave of my last sister and my fourth son"

Sakumo placed a hand on the man's shoulder knowing very well how Tajima felt since Sakumo's eldest son had died a few weeks ago protecting his Hokage. It had consumed Sakumo with grief, even if they were shinobi and he had two more children still alive, that pain had threatened to consume him.

Tajima might have committed many heinous acts in his life but so had the other clan heads. It was the nature of shinobi, but Sakumo could only imagine the pain of the Uchiha for he had now lost his fourth son. A child he had a stormy relationship with but one who had also made Tajima most proud. If it was not enough, Tajima's last surviving sibling whom he had loved more than anyone else had also perished.

"The gods have seen fit to punish me with these dark days. That I should live to see the fall of my house, my family" said Tajima sadly,

"Their deaths were not your fault, Lord Tajima" consoled Daen,

Tears fell from the old Uchiha's eyes as he saw the jar containing the ashes of his son. His youngest child had been the most loyal and best member of their clan raising it to powers even Tajima never dreamed of. Izuna and Naruto were the last remnants of his dead wife, and now they were both gone.

"No father should have to bury his sons"

Sakumo had to grab the broken man as tears slipped from his eyes. Tajima clutched the two jars deep in his chest as he fell to his knees. Heavy sobs wrecked his body as memories of Naruto and Naori passed through his heart.

Daen and the ninjas could only watch the Uchiha head wallow in grief and misery as he poured the ashes into the river with Sakumo's help. Even the most bitter enemies of the Uchiha remained silent having also lost loved ones to this war.

They all knew that the enemy was now marching towards them with a very large force. Possibly more than 150,000 strong if Shisui's report was correct.

In comparison to that, they barely had 10,000 men and those too were not the best fighters of each clan.

Tajima remained standing on the bank watching the last ashes of his family being carried away. His hands were clenched shut and so were his eyes. He could feel the anxiety and fear burning within the men with no one knowing for certain what course of action they were supposed to take.

Daen blinked when Tajima swiftly turned around. Grief and pain still coursed through his dark eyes but there was also a fierce hate alongwith grim determination present in them.

"Our King is gone... _but we are not_. The Otsutsuki took everything from us. They want to destroy our people, our homes, our lives but we will **_not_** let that happen" declared Tajima fiercely,

Sakumo and many others were surprised by the declaration but they would be lying if they were not relieved to see the cold determination in the Uchiha leader's eyes. The Hatake and Nara leaders quickly stepped behind Tajima as the man swiftly starting walking towards the Capital.

"We will stop those bastards for as long as we can until our armies return home" decided Tajima,

He cast one look at Sakumo making the man stand even more straighter, "Muster the army at _Castle Tsukiyomi_. As many men of fighting age, ninjas and civilians both. You have three days" ordered Tajima,

Sakumo swiftly nodded and hurried off with several ninjas to carry out the orders making Tajima turn towards the other clan head.

"Prepare the Capital for a siege and hoard provisions so that we can shelter as many of our people behind the city's walls if the enemy overruns us" instructed Tajima,

" _Our people?_ " asked Daen with a wry smile, earning a grim stare from Tajima.

"My son and my sister died for the world of men. I shall see to it that their sacrifice didn't go in vain"

For the second time in his life, an Uchiha had defied Daen's expectations. He nodded at Tajima's resolution and decided to carry out his orders. The matter of succession would be a point of contention in the future but for now humanity had to unite against an army of dead led by the Otsutsuki.

He watched Tajima stand in front of the ninjas and looked them all straight in the eye.

 **"Warriors of Fire! WE MARCH TO WAR!"**

A thunderous roar of battlecries was unleashed at Tajima's statement as ninjas from various clans and even civilian fighters raised their swords. The last of the defenders, the final wall between death and their people.

 _We march to death._

* * *

(Coast of Land of Lightning)

After several days of travel, Itachi caught sight of land for the first time. It elicited a wave of cheers from the men on the ship even as he approached their leader.

"You think we'll find them in time?" asked Itachi hesitantly,

"We have to. Otherwise our king won't survive his physical wounds" replied Shisui resolutely,

"We still don't have any idea about his mental state. For all we know his mind may have already left his body" pointed Itachi, it was a bitter fact but one not out of the realm of possibilities.

Shisui grimaced knowing his friend was right but he just could not believe that their King was gone.

"Let us hope the queen and Lord Hashirama can get him back on his feet" said Itachi hopefully, earning a nod from his friend.

He saw Shisui was still wallowing in guilt and rightly so for he had sent all the surviving Uzumaki and the remaining Kingsguard forces to the Land of Fire only leaving a handful men and Mito to carry Naruto to the Land of Lightning where they had received information that their main army was currently stationed.

The enemy had been ruthlessly pursuing them on sea for every day and they had to leave many civilian ships behind when they were not able to escape quickly. It only added to their list of failures alongwith thousands of more dead to the enemy army. For some reason, the Otsutsuki desperately wanted Naruto dead which had forced Shisui to risk a costly diversion at the price of many warriors and civilians.

Their small ship had escaped in the chaos and by making all the Kingsguard survivors and Uzumaki go the Land of Fire, they had essentially directed a large chunk of enemy forces in that direction. To make things more safer, Shisui and Itachi deliberately spread rumors of Naruto's passing among the Uzumaki survivors so that in the case if the enemy had spies in the mainlands then they would focus on the Land of Fire and other areas first leaving them alone.

It was a heartless move but one necessary for the survival of their King.

Both boys could only imagine the grief it would have caused Lord Tajima knowing that his sister and son both died. Not to mention hundreds of Uchiha. However, their duty was now first towards their King and then to their clan.

Shisui had no doubt the enemy had spies in the mainlands that were providing them critical information and if that was the case then he was definitely expecting the possibility of another attack.

Lord Hashirama and Tsunade had the main army of the Land of Fire under their command. If they managed to defeat the Samurai Nation then it was now possibly the largest force of fighters left in the world. The enemy would surely try to wipe them out while also focusing on destroying the Land of Fire. Not only destroying the most powerful nation in the world send a message, but it would also bolster the ranks of the army of dead tremendously and nearly destroy the moral of the ninja forces if their home was destroyed.

Shisui did not know what the future held for them but unless Madara came back from the Land of Wind with his forces, assuming he had any left or was not defeated or ambushed.

Then Lord Tajima was the last line of defense for their people.

* * *

(Land of Wind)

Tobirama deflected a sword strike aimed at his neck and used the momentary opening to drive his lightning sword clean through the man's heart. As his enemy coughed blood and fell, he was assaulted by the overwhelming battlecry resonated across the battlefield.

 **"THE FIRST HOKAGE!"**

 **"THE FIRST HOKAGE!"**

 **"THE FIRST HOKAGE!"**

Madara charged through several ranks of enemy forces with his sword making quick work of any warrior that got in his way. The poor bastards never had a chance thanks to this sharingan predicting their every move. He grabbed a nearby warrior and slapped explosives on his body before throwing him in a group of his own comrades watching them be shred to pieces.

From the skies, he saw Rei unleash a powerful barrage of explosives destroying scores of enemy. If that was not enough, the remaining Namikaze were firing volley after volley of precise kunai and shuriken strikes thinning out enemy forces at an alarming pace.

On the other side of the battlefield, Sasuke Sarutobi was wrecking havoc with his gigantic monkey summon. While on the left flank, Tobirama demolished his enemies brutally.

Madara grinned when he saw another large wave of enemies charging towards him. Judging from their attire, these were ninjas from the Land of Earth. He defiantly charged towards them and was not surprised when Danzo, Kakashi and Mikoto joined him alongwith several more Uchiha.

The heat of the desert didn't bother them nor did the treacherous sand. The enemy might have been able to mount up a powerful defense had his forces not descended down on them so suddenly that half their forces were butchered before they could even yell out the first scream.

The earth ninjas gave out a battlecry expecting a brutal close quarter combat and were terribly alarmed when the men led by the Hokage quickly performed a set of hand seals.

 **"Fire Style: Fire Tornado!"**

One of the disadvantages of fighting in the desert was the fact that the earth ninjas had no mud or stone to use for their ninjutsu. That was not the case for the Sand ninjas who were used to fighting in this environment but they were too few to begin with leaving the Earth ninjas to do the heavy fighting.

Madara watched in satisfaction as the earth ninjas panicked on seeing the massive wave of fire being unleashed at them at such close quarters. Half of them tried to run, few tried to unleash water jutsu but there was hardly any source of water nearby and none of them were powerful enough like Tobirama who could gather water from the air itself. It was no wonder when all 200 of them were incinerated and died in agony.

He glanced at Tobirama as the Senju came near him. Watching the remnants of the once 30,000 strong enemy army being reduced to half their number and surrendering quickly was a satisfying sight. Not that those sand and earth buggers had any chance with most of their leaders murdered by Madara and Tobirama.

A small smile came upon Tobirama's lips as his thoughts went back to the conversation shared between him and Madara...

* * *

 _(Flashback)_

 _Tobirama and Madara stood alone in the Hokage's tent observing the map of the Land of Wind._

 _The Senju could not help but steal occasional glances at the older Uchiha. After their encounter against the Kaguya and suffering heavy casualties, he had expected their army to fall apart. He was proved wrong when a grim faced Madara woke up the next day and took charge again. Contrary to his expectations, Madara personally made sure the dead from all clans received proper burials as per their clan's traditions. Madara had consoled those who had lost friends and loved ones, visited the injured and thanked them for their bravery and in doing so he had not shown discrimination between anyone. Those warriors still fit enough to fight were given a straightforward speech by Madara regarding the importance of their campaign and how despite their losses they had to link up with Sasuke Sarutobi's forces and defeat the combined ninja armies of the Land of Wind and Earth._

 _It was the first time Tobirama had seen Madara actually rise to the task of a leader. He never thought the Uchiha had it in him but Madara had developed a strange streak of proving Tobirama's expectations wrong again and again. A fact which baffled the white haired Senju._

 _"The enemy has 30,000 forces under their command. They have divided their forces equally and stationed them in two important cities here and here" pointed Madara,_

 _''Those locations are heavily defended and travelling there alone will wipe out more than half of our supplies. Our troops are not used to fighting in that terrain and it is very likely Sand ninjas will ambush us all the way using the desert as their weapon" said Tobirama worriedly,_

 _"Then we need to force them to get into open combat with us" suggested Madara,_

 _"How?" questioned Tobirama, the enemy knew they had the advantage and unless drastic measures forced them to move they were not going to take such a risk._

 _"Take two small companies of the best water ninjutsu specialists from our forces. Take this dam and stop water supply to this city held by majority of the Land of Wind's forces" directed Madara shrewdly,_

 _"They'll come back in full force and retake the dam back. I won't have enough men to stop them" pointed Tobirama, and was not relieved when he saw Madara give him a grim look._

 _"When that happens, destroy the dam"_

 _Tobirama froze._

 _His wide eyes stared at the large damn which held almost 50% of water for the Land of Wind. Destroying it would not only make the nation literally bleed to death, but also wipe out the largest city nearest to the Dam where most of the Land of Wind's forces were currently stationed._

 _It would also wipe out thousands of civilians._

 _Even for ninjas this was a drastic step and the collateral damage would be massive but on the other hand Madara did not have enough men to defeat the enemy in combat on their own turf. Even their army's morale was currently low and they had suffered many casualties._

 _With the majority of Sand fighters wiped out, the warriors from Land of Earth would be left alone to deal with the armies from the Land of Fire. Those stone fighters were the most hot-headed race of the world and a properly placed challenge would have them charging like stupid donkeys._

 _"Are you sure about this?" asked Tobirama seriously, he was not averse to doing dark things if it helped in saving the lives of his people but Madara needed to understand that as the leader of this army he would not be judged favorably by history if he did this._

 _The Uchiha gave a grim smile._

 _"A Hokage protects his people from all enemies in whatever way he can. I bear this burden so my people don't have to. It is my duty"_

 _Tobirama watched the Hokage walk away in silence and could not help the grim but small smile that came on his lips._

 _(Flashback End)_

* * *

Nights in the desert were truly one of the most unique and beautiful phenomenon Tobirama had ever witnessed. The sight of their people cheering and dancing over their victory also added to his joy.

Madara's brutal plan had worked.

Tobirama acting on the Hokage's orders stormed the Dam and took it from the small company of sand ninjas defending it. They had never expected such an attack and had actually thought Madara would foolishly siege the two cities where the main enemy armies were stationed. When the Dam fell, the Sand ninjas in the city panicked and rushed to take it back. Tobirama and his men held it for as long as possible and then at the last second destroyed it completely and flooded thousands of kilometers of land wiping out half of the enemy's joint army in a massive wave. Tobirama and his soldiers would have themselves died in the flood had Rei Namikaze and her clansmen not waiting to evacuate them on eagles. The Namikaze female had made a terrific recovery from her grave wounds thanks to Tobirama's help and she had been most eager to return the Senju's favor by saving his life.

With the Suna forces mostly wiped out, the Earth ninjas panicked and some carefully timed crass words from Madara had the fools charging stupidly out of their well defended city walls. Tobirama and Madara had made sure to defeat them thoroughly which marked the complete victory of their nation over the Land of Wind and Earth. After their initial losses against the Kaguya, it was a much needed victory which boosted the morale tremendously.

In the campaign, they had lost 2000 more fighters but compared to the enemy which lost close to 17,000 (mostly in the flood), 4000 injured, 8500 prisoners and remaining fleeing away...it was a small price.

Civilian casualties were in thousands as many had drowned in the massive flood but Tobirama wrote it off as bad effects of war. Anybody who believed wars were won without any dark actions were utter fools.

 **"NO!"**

He was not prepared for the anguished scream that escaped from Madara's tent. Alarmed, the Senju dashed towards the Hokage's location as did many of the other ninjas. When they began their campaign, Tobirama had hated Madara thinking the man not capable of leading their army. But Madara had proved him wrong and did everything necessary, including taking harsh steps to protect the lives of their people. It had earned the Uchiha a grudging respect in Tobirama's heart, enough to make him worried as that painful scream was definitely Madara's.

When his group reached the location, they barely saw Madara storm away from them furiously. Darkness and hatred were resonating from the man in waves making many ninjas scramble for cover.

But what shocked Tobirama were the _tears_ falling from Madara's eyes as he dashed away towards the outskirts of their camp.

Madara was many things but an emotional man? He was not!

The fact that such a hardened warrior was reduced to tears after such a splendid victory he had achieved made Tobirama gulp. He gestured the others to wait outside as he entered the tent and saw an unconscious messenger lying on the ground. The man must have instantly passed out under Madara's explosion of anger. The Uchiha could be really scary when he was angered and his killing intent was not something even Tobirama could dismiss.

He narrowed his eyes as he saw an abandoned letter lying idly in the middle of the tent not far from the messenger's unconscious form.

Hesitantly, he stepped forward and picked it up only to have his world shattered.

 _The King is dead._

Tobirama could barely believe what he just read which forced him to quickly read the rest of the letter which detailed the King's campaign to rescue Uzu which was being attacked by Otsutsuki. There were mentions of the army of dead, the cursed statue, and a list of important leaders who had died there alongside their leader.

One of them took away Tobirama's breath.

Tears came in his eyes as he gingerly touched the name so dear to him written on a piece of parchment.

 **Itama Senju.**

His cheeks were stained with his tears as the cursed letter crumbled to dust in his hand. Anger and pain flooded his veins, his hands shook terribly as memory of a young boy dutifully following him around came back to haunt him. For years, he had encouraged the boy that he had the capability to become a good leader.

In the end, Itama proved him right but at the cost of his life.

 _The whispers in his head and the darkness on his chest started to spread rapidly as Tobirama was consumed in his grief and misery._

* * *

He sat in the empty white plains bound within the unbreakable cage.

The aura of cold, death and doom infested the air.

The visage of his lonely presence sitting in a chair the only thing of notice in this empty existence.

Time and reality had lost meaning making him clueless but he didn't care.

All he could think, all he could feel, all he could see was...

 _Hate._

It burned through every inch of his broken form sucking away every last ounce of emotion. Yet it also made him stronger, it fueled his anger and desire for retaliation.

He remembered feeling like this a long time ago and even then this feeling had been small compared to what he felt right now.

He had tried to get out of the cage only to fail again and again.

The cage was strong and not possible to break no matter how hard he tried.

But it would not stop him.

It might take years, generations or eternity itself but he would get out one day and then he would...

 _Burn them all!_

The field of white twisted into shades of red and in the high sky he saw a dark moon staring down at him.

"It's powerful, isn't it?"

He blinked on seeing another presence appear in this pointless existence for the first time. The man was older than him but what disturbed him was the fact that he looked exactly like an older version of him with a few minor details being different.

"What do you feel after what you just went through?" asked the man,

"Did you put me in here?" demanded the prisoner, his dark red eyes narrowing dangerously but it only earned a smirk from his visitor.

"Yes. To save your life once again, just as I did years ago"

His eyes widened on hearing the man make that claim. For years, he had wondered as to why he was almost immune to fire and now he had his answer.

"You are like me in many ways and in others you aren't" commented the man nostalgically,

"I know you now" replied the prisoner, receiving a grim nod from the older man.

"That you do now, my son" said the older man, but was surprised when he received a cold look at his last statement.

"You are _not_ my father" spat the prisoner bitterly,

The older man laughed.

"Hate clouds your mind and emotions, just like it did to me once...it still does. But you, your father, and his fathers before him all came through me. Your people remember me just as your descendants will remember you long after you have passed from this world" said the man sagely,

 **"Indra"**

 _"Naruto"_

Both Uchiha's stared at each other trying to discern all they could about the other. For Indra, the boy was an anomaly. He had accomplished all Indra had ever desired and expected from his descendants, yet he had also refused to make Ashura's descendants stoop to their rightful place and instead gave them power as his equals.

"Am I dead?" asked Naruto seriously,

"Do you want to be?" countered Indra, considering the boy's past he would not be surprised if he wanted that after what happened. In some ways, Naruto was too fragile like Ashura had been.

"No"

"Why?" questioned Indra, now intrigued by the level of anger he saw in the boy's eyes.

"They took something from me. Someone who meant the world to me...and they _murdered_ her. They butchered my people, I will see to it that they all die screaming in agony. I'll bring **_Fire and Blood_** to their lands, to their people and destroy everything they ever held dear" promised Naruto vengefully,

A ghost of smile came upon Indra's lips as he felt pride swell within him on hearing those words. He had expected the boy to fall apart and not be capable of bearing the loss of a loved one, but Naruto was like him in many ways. Instead of drowning in grief, he was being consumed in hate and the desire to burn alive those who had hurt him.

The boy had almost restricted himself to foolish morals his entire life...but now the cracks were wide open for Indra to see.

"There would be many among your people who will use your recent defeats to overthrow you" warned Indra, aware of the treacherous nature of shinobi.

If possible the intensity of the boy's dark red eyes doubled.

 _"Then they shall burn"_

Indra was satisfied with that answer as he approached the boy's cage.

"The Uchiha's are the rightful ruler of the world, King Naruto. It is your responsibility to see that our line continues its dominance over the world of men. Those whom you call allies might support you but they will always need a reminder as to _never_ cross the dragon" explained Indra,

"I will butcher every last Otsutsuki from this earth" declared Naruto, earning a nod from Indra.

"I will help you in that. The one who killed your beloved aunt is Kaguya's third son. But he's not their leader." revealed Indra,

"Then who is?" asked Naruto seriously,

"Her name is **Hinata Otsutsuki** , before my father and his brother defeated Kaguya, the mad bitch created a woman in her image that inherited most of her powers. She was made with the sole intention of becoming Kaguya's vessel once the mad bitch was revived" explained Indra, his hatred for the cursed woman clear for Naruto to see.

"How did Kaguya's son and her clone daughter survive for so long?" questioned Naruto, making Indra grimace.

"My father once told me that an average Otsutsuki could live for atleast 3000 years. The stronger ones even longer, originally they never even originated on earth but somewhere else in this vast universe. They are creatures that need energy like chakra to survive and consume every world that has that power before moving on to their next meal. Apparently, Kaguya was tired of that practice and broke away from her kind and settled on this planet. In the beginning, she had good intentions and a desire to protect humanity and this planet from getting destroyed by her people. But she was a frightened woman who always dreaded that one day her kind would come and destroy everything she held dear, it drove her to gather more and more power until she finally became insane and thought herself to be a **god**. _Stupid bitch_ " explained Indra bitterly,

"She was your grandmother and you were not exactly the _paragon_ _of sanity_ " rebuked Naruto playfully taking great comfort when Indra glared at him.

"I'd watch your tone, _boy_. I saved your life by trapping your soul in your body otherwise you'd be dragon chew by now" warned Indra, projecting a great portion of his power to make the boy cower.

He was mildly surprised when Naruto gave him a cold look.

"Death does not scare me, Indra. All men must die someday, but _your_ self interests lie in my survival so your threat is useless" countered Naruto coolly,

He was waiting for Indra to be outraged and was surprised when the Uchiha founder gave him a cold but proud smile.

"I made the right choice when I chose you to be my successor in this era. You are not just a dumb powerhouse like your brother, or a cunning but less powerful man like your Father. You have both those traits and it is why I will not let you die if I can help it" said Indra honestly,

"I'll say this once so listen carefully. Don't **_ever_** insult my family, they may not be what you want them to be...but they are **_my_** blood. _Cross them and you cross me_ " warned Naruto icily,

Unknown to the King, a wave of sadness and nostalgia washed over the Uchiha founder as he remembered a young boy just like the one standing before him now. That boy too had loved his brother and father dearly once only to have them betray him.

"Then I hope your family does not end the way mine did" whispered Indra,

Naruto's anger lessened as he realized what Indra must be feeling. It raised a question in his mind...

"Why did you try to revive the Ten Tails?"

Indra clenched his fists as a wave of anger washed over him.

"With my powers I tried to defeat my brother and father, but they were too strong with the help of their supporters. They destroyed my allies until I barely had any left. Defeat was staring at me and in that dark time a foul creature full of malice and hatred whispered in my ear. **Zetsu** was his name, another foul creation of Kaguya before her defeat. The bastard convinced me that reviving the Ten Tails would give me enough power to defeat my family and take what was mine. Truthfully, the idea was not bad. _Dangerous_ , yes because it was no easy task to control that beast but with my Mangekyo Sharingan I could do it. I captured the tailed beasts one after another except for the Kyuubi who always evaded my grasp, but still I managed to capture a large portion of his chakra which was enough to atleast revive the Ten Tails at half power"

Indra paused and if possible his fists clenched even more tightly and there was unmistakable sadness visible in his eyes. Something which Naruto didn't fail to miss.

"Something went wrong" deduced the King, making his ancestor nod solemnly.

" _I was betrayed_. Hinata and Kimimaro Otsutsuki had been waiting for me to revive the Ten Tails and when everything was in place, they attacked me with full force of their power and supporters. I fought them for seven days and lost _five_ of my sons and hundreds of my last supporters in those battles. In a desperate move, I sent my eldest son Indranil away so that my line would atleast survive and gave him **Dawn** which I had made through a foreign metal that Kaguya had brought with her from her homeworld and fused it with the Juubi statue's chakra. Indranil also had a small portion of that metal and in the future he made the sword **Fury** albeit with the less powerful chakra of the other tailed beasts. When my end was near, my family came to fight" explained Indra,

"They came to help you after all that had happened?" asked Naruto in surprise, but could also understand why. No matter the differences between him and Madara, they were always brothers.

Apparently, Indra and Ashura were not much different if the older Uchiha's sad smile was any proof.

"It was at Ashura's insistence and my father's desire to stop the Ten Tails from being born. Together with the Kyuubi, we fought the Otsutsuki. It was a bitter battle and many of our supporters died, victory was near until Hinata almost killed my brother. I gave my life to save his own" whispered Indra, earning a surprised look from his descendant.

"Indra..."

"I was better than my brother at everything yet people always loved him more. Neither of us cared about that, we both had seen in our lives that humans understood authority very well. Allow them too much freedom and they would show their hidden animal and the only way to keep it in check was establishing order with an iron fist. The burden of leadership is not easy to bear and always isolated the ones tasked to carry it. Ashura understood it once and promised to support me when my time came to replace our father. And then..." said Indra bitterly, as his entire body shook with rage as he remembered what happened after.

"Then he betrayed you by siding with your father" deduced Naruto, earning a nod from Indra.

"Ashura always held that old man in a higher pedestal than me. His words were like gold and the final command for Ashura, he was foolish enough to buy into the old man's bullshit that _LOVE and CO-OPERATION_ was enough to keep the peace? In a way they were just as delusional or perhaps mad like Kaguya" spat Indra furiously,

Naruto winced but could not help but agree. Humanity even before the emergence of shinobi were certainly not a peaceful race. Men were ambitious and it was not bad if it didn't go out of control. Sadly, humanity did not like to be bound and most of the time had to be controlled by firm authority or it would have destroyed itself with the sheer level of chaos and anarchy they would wrecked on each other. Ambition was good and even needed, but humans needed moderation was well to a certain degree.

And that certainly was not going to be achieved by something childish like _Love_.

"Ashura forgot everything we once promised each other. It was supposed to be **him** and **me** against the world bringing order to the world of men. But he betrayed me, defied me, mocked me with his childish ideologies. He brought his doom upon himself with his treason... _but I loved him, Naruto. I always loved him_ " whispered Indra,

Naruto could not help but feel Indra's sadness and anger. His emotions were so raw and open for him to feel and it made him angry at Kurama. The fox had told him a _very biased_ account of the First War for Dawn!

Kurama never failed to mention Indra's mistakes but never mentioned the fact that Indra for all his hate gave his life for his brother. It did not lessen his crimes but it surely did not make him the monster Kurama said he was.

Indra was a powerful man with his shortcomings, and in some ways he had been right. His methods to attain leadership might have been misguided or even wrong but Naruto could not help but wonder how the world would have been had Indra succeeded.

"My father also died stopping the Otsutsuki. He was very old by then and that allowed those bastards to slip away but before he died he again created a rift that continued the war that ended when you became King. Before I died, I had seen in Ashura's eyes...the desire to end this feud between us. He would have even accepted my son Indranil as the one true leader until my father instructed him _not_ to. Ashura knew he had the power to end our civil war yet he chose to again obey that old fool and follow his wishes. He died very shortly consumed by grief as my sons and his sons tore each other apart" spat Indra furiously,

"Is that why you don't want me to trust the Senjus?" asked Naruto cautiously,

"Hashirama is the reincarnation of my brother and is more like him than I would like. He is someone whom you can trust to a degree, there may be some more like him in that family. But **_never_** trust the Senjus blindly, if arrogance and pride is the weakness of Uchiha...then idealism and emotions are the weakness of Senju. Your own wife is a stark example of that weakness" explained Indra honestly,

Naruto winced as he was again reminded of his spat with his wife. Tsunade was very emotional and opinionated in her views, the same went for Tobirama and many Senjus.

Hashirama and Itama were the exception...

But still...

Grief washed over him as he dearly missed Naori and her support. It was not to say she was not opinionated in her views, but she was one of the more rational Uchiha and she had always given him the right advice.

 _And now she was gone._

 _Just like his brothers._

He would never see her again, never get to see her smile, hear her snarky remarks, not feel her comforting hand on his cheek...

Fear coursed through his heart as he wondered about the fate of his friends. The fate of his dear brother whom he had left alone with a vicious man like Tobirama.

How would he ever face his father again after being unable to save Naori and hundreds of his clansmen?

Despair and sadness overwhelmed him again to the point that even his hate felt small in comparison to the grief that threatened to consume him entirely.

 _He had failed his people._

He looked up when the cage vanished and he saw Indra come forward to lay a hand on his shoulder.

"Your eyes will never be the same"

Naruto looked at his reflection in the water that Indra conjured beneath their feet. His sharingan now sported a twisted shuriken instead of the regular three tomoe. Considering what he had read vaguely from the Uchiha tablet before destroying it, this was the ultimate form of the Sharingan. Perhaps, he was even the first to awaken this dark power after Indra...

"You have proved yourself to be a better leader than me and my brother. I would want you to keep the Senjus in check but will trust your judgement in the end. I will tell you all there is to know about the Otsutsuki you face and teach you all I have ever known including the power of your new eyes" offered Indra sincerely,

"Foes and treacherous allies surround me" said Naruto bitterly,

"The crown lies heavy upon your head but is a burden that you must bear if you desire to rule. You have suffered defeats, you have lost loved ones and comrades, but don't fall apart now. **Rise a true dragon and make your enemies burn in the flames of Amaterasu** " said Indra fiercely, dark eyes ablaze with the same hatred that burned in Naruto's heart.

He surprised the boy by engulfing him in a firm hug and felt the fiery hate burning brightly in his descendant's heart.

Naruto's entire body was engulfed in a power so enormous and dark that it was even hard to comprehend its true magnitude. It washed over him, soaking all his hate and grief only to embolden his resolve and strength with Indra's words resonating across his heart.

 _"The Uchiha Remember, my son. The Uchiha remember..."_


	31. For Honor

**Thank you for the support. Hope you continue it.**

 **Final chapter of this arc.**

 **Music Recommendation: The Departure of Boromir (Available on Youtube)**

 **Chapter 31**

 **For Honor**

* * *

(Land of Lightning)

The morning rays of the sun had barely started to enlighten the vast mountains of the land when she heard the familiar horn. Her eyes widened in shock and hope as she dashed out of her tent. She was not alone in her surprise as the entire camp was trying to reach the outskirts. Fortunately for her, men and women parted a clear path when they realized who she was and even bowed but she didn't pay them any attention. Her quick sprint made her reach the edge of their camp more swiftly than she imagined where she found her eldest brother waiting alongside Hanzo, Mifune and the fox.

She tried to see any form of the approaching party but the fog hindered her vision. Yet they had all heard the familiar horn which was clearly meant to inform them all of the approaching party's march.

What made her heart sink was the crestfallen look on her brother's face. Hashirama's lips were trembling and his eyes were getting moist. Tsunade knew her brother better than most and was aware about his powerful sensory abilities that not only allowed him to gauge the chakra, numbers and power but also the emotions of people.

"Brother" she whispered, as she laid a hand on his shoulder.

Tsunade gulped when he looked at her with such a saddened gaze that did not ease her worries but only increased them. To make it worse, the flag of the _three headed dragon_ banner finally emerged out of the fog and she saw the distant silhouettes of men approaching. They had received a brief letter stating the arrival of the King alongwith his Kingsguard force. No other details were mentioned which had not eased anyone but the news of the King's return sent the men in a cheer.

That feeling was soon replaced by dread and horror when they saw barely 200 fighters approaching when 7000 had gone to Uzu. The best of their fighters and barely anyone had returned.

Tsunade gasped as she saw most of the ninjas looked very weak, tired and few were even injured. Still they were keeping their discipline and marching under the lead of Shisui Uchiha and the other three Kingsguard. Her heart started beating faster as she saw neither her husband or her beloved brother among the group. She looked at Hashirama and if possible he looked even more heartbroken now with tears falling from his eyes. The fox suddenly bolted forward and charged towards the group.

Both Senjus and the people around them were shocked when the fox forced the approaching Kinsguard fighters to make way and it was only then they saw a group of men carrying a stretcher with a heavily wounded man in it, who was constantly being looked over by Mito Uzumaki.

A strangled scream left the fox's lips, one which was soon echoed by Tsunade as she saw the familiar body lying numbly on that stretcher. She ran towards him and none tried to get in her way, when she reached him a gasp escaped her lips as she took in the state of her husband.

The King's entire body was wrapped in bandages and when Tsunade cast a quick diagnostic hand over it, she realized almost all his ribs were broken. There were second degree burns on his chest and many of his internal muscles were badly fried especially the ones near the heart as if he was struck by thunder itself. His once beautiful brown locks had now turned completely white, his face as pale as a corpse. But the most disturbing fact was revealed the moment she touched him.

She felt nothing.

His heart was barely beating much to her relief but in every other sense he was dead. Every shinobi always had an aura of energy in them which always allowed other shinobi to determine easily their mortal status even if they were pretending to be dead.

Naruto's energy was almost non-existent as if something had sucked it away from him cruelly.

She glanced at Mito to see her Uzumaki friend give her a sad gaze. Tears fell from Tsunade's eyes as she knelt and laid a tender hand on his cheek.

She remembered their fight and could not help but lament the fact it ever happened. If it hadn't, then perhaps Naruto would have never left for Uzu. He wouldn't have to suffer like this and that burden was heavy for her to bear.

Tsunade despite her aggrieved state heard her brother's voice as he confronted Shisui Uchiha.

"So few of you have returned" commented Hashirama sadly,

Shisui grimaced as he saw the entire army staring at him. Almost everyone of these people had a friend, relative, lover or family member in the Kingsguard force and they were all looking at him anxiously for their news. Guilt threatened to overwhelm him for after Naruto, he had been the commander of the Kingsguard and all those deaths were his responsibility. It was one thing to watch his men die and be turned into those monsters, but a whole different and painful matter when he saw their fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts.

They were all staring at him but no words left his lips. He could not stop tears from arriving in his eyes despite Hashirama Senju looking at him with an understanding gaze.

"The Uzumaki are safe and sent to our nation. Many more of the Kingsguard fighters went with them to keep them safe but we did suffer heavy losses" reported Itachi calmly,

Relief flooded through Shisui and he hoped his thankful gaze conveyed his eternal gratitude to his silent friend. Itachi was a very observant man and had clearly realized the fact that if the full truth of their disastrous defeat was revealed...this army might very well butcher them right here! Consequences be damned.

The sight of their heavily wounded King near death's door would only encourage their outrage.

So he had given them a brief of the truth. Despite their inability to save Uzu, they had managed to save thousands of Uzumaki and those Kingsguard fighters who had survived were indeed sent to the Land of Fire by Shisui alongside the Uzumaki refugees. His statement regarding heavy losses combined with the news of many Kinsguard going to their homeland was enough to give majority of the ninjas hope that their loved ones were still alive. Some of the more rational and paranoid people knew better but thought it better to keep their mouth shut when Kagami and Takeshi unleashed a mild killing intent warning them not to do anything stupid.

Just when they thought they had avoid a major disaster, the queen approached them.

"Where is Lady Naori? Where is Itama? Where is my brother?" asked Tsunade worriedly as she stared directly at Shisui who had become a good friend of hers over the past few weeks.

His eyes said it all and Tsunade felt her heart stop. The last hope in her and Hashirama's heart was shattered when Shisui steeled himself and looked at them with a gaze full of grief and pride.

"They did their duty"

* * *

(Land of Wind)

Tobirama Senju sat alone.

His tears had long since dried up but the grief he felt over the loss of his brother still burned painfully in his heart. Itama had always been the kindest among his siblings and unlike him the boy had never truly hated Uchiha's despite the fact that they killed Kawarama, something for which Tobirama had never forgiven them.

 _We are brothers, Uchiha and Senju. I hope one day you can also make peace with it like I have, brother._

He had been so outraged when Itama had said those words to him during Tsunade's wedding. He had called the boy weak and even a traitor to their clan but Itama had only given him an understanding look and never said anything more.

If only he had known that was the last time he would have talked to his brother...

Itama gave his life saving Uzumaki who were staunch allies of the Senju. Tobirama could not be more proud of his brother as the letter mentioned that it was because of Itama and his men that many Uzumaki still lived. Many other brave warriors from different clans including Naori Uchiha and the King himself had died to save the redheads.

He had only interacted with Naruto on a handful times but the Uchiha always had an aura of mystery around him. Perhaps there had been more to him than Tobirama had imagined but now he would never know.

The news of the King's death had spread like a tidal wave across their camp. Despite the reservations of many, the different ninja clans were staying united only because Naruto was King and Tsunade his wife. It was the perfect union of Uchiha and Senju which brought the remaining clans together. With the King dead, nobody was certain about the future and where their allegiances lay.

Madara had isolated himself in his tent since the past day and was not taking any visitors. The aura of darkness and hate radiating from his place of location was enough to make anyone brave or stupid enough to approach their army leader a dangerous move.

This isolation by Madara had been the final trigger and now the staunch Senju loyalists were openly whispering dangerous things among their clans and allies. Tobirama was aware of their talks having been their leader once before this war started.

The most important figures were Hiro Inuzuka, Tori Yamanaka and one of the civilian generals. The Inuzuka had always hated the Uchiha because of their inferiority complex and arrogance which was inherited by their current clan head, Hiro had been a mad dog being kept on a leash only because of Tobirama's firm command but with the King dead, all bets were off.

Tori Yamanaka was the widow of Itama Yamanaka, the former Yamanaka clan head whom Naruto had burned alive. The vengeful woman had given such a cold smile when she heard the news of the King's death and subtly nudged Hiro to initiate the coup.

The civilian general, Hayate was just a greedy man who wanted to gain more wealth for himself by siding with the powerful Senju.

All three of them were rallying men to their cause under the banner of supporting Tsunade as their _Rightful Queen._

Many Senju loyalists were flocking to their cause already. Technically with Naruto dead, Madara was the most likely candidate to become King but there was too much bad blood between the man and Senjus for them to claim him as their King. Being Hokage was one thing, but their supreme leader? It would be a cold day in hell before anyone accepted that.

Surprisingly, the coup leaders had run into a major trouble.

Many Uchiha had died in this campaign leaving only a few hundred left to defend Madara, even Tobi Shimura was injured but his clan fighters however few remaining would defend Madara to death. Rei Namikaze was also a fierce leader and her clansmen had command over the aerial units which could wreck havoc.

Most importantly, Sasuke Sarutobi had _balked_ at the idea of a coup. The monkey clan head had snarled furiously at such a disgusting and ill-logical plan since Madara had made quite the impression on the clan head with his tactics and leadership enough to make Sasuke spit at the idea of stabbing Madara in the back. He had told his allies in clear terms that while he would not outright tell Madara of this treachery, but if they truly rebelled then Sasuke and his clansmen would defend their Hokage.

Fighting against Shimura and Namikaze, even few Uchiha was one thing. But the Sarutobi currently made up the largest contingent of their forces. They were the best fighters after Uchiha and Senju warriors, whoever they chose to support would be the clear winner.

That was not even taking into account Madara's fury.

The man was a dragon in all but appearance and his power was intimidating. It had only become more darker and ten times strong since the ill news of the King's death arrived. If provoked, Madara would likely burn everyone alive in his pent up anger and grief.

Most importantly, Tobirama did _not_ want to hurt the Uchiha who had strangely become a dear comrade.

Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined himself coming to respect and admire someone like Madara. But the Uchiha had gained his trust with his actions, Madara was not a perfect man and had his faults but with Naruto dead he was their best bet to maintain the peace. Nobody in this army would trust Tajima but these men had followed Madara and despite their losses, Madara had always led them to victory.

 _The man had not lost a single battle!_

A feat not even the deceased King could boast off.

 ** _No, he will succumb to grief and madness with the loss of his brother. You must put him down for the sake of peace._**

Tobirama gripped his head as that treacherous voice whispered in his mind again. He fought with every ounce of his power but it made his chest burn with pain. He hastily walked towards one corner of his tent and glanced at his reflection in the mirror. Removing his shirt he saw that his entire chest was now a picture of darkness. The whispering was becoming more and more stronger to the point that it had stopped Tobirama from raising any objections or asking for more time like he had in the past to the coup leaders. His resistance was failing and he knew it won't be long before this darkness took him.

He cursed the day this evil sunk its claws into him remembering very well the moment this power had whispered in his head for the first time during his captivity with the Uchihas. It was before Hashirama agreed to Naruto's term, before that his Uchiha guards had taken great pleasure in starving him, mildly torturing him and making his wounds worse. Tobirama had been shivering in pain and was lucid at best. The voice had whispered to him then promising to take away his pain and in his desperation he had foolishly accepted it. The pain had went away as his wounds were healed much to the shock of his cruel guards, Naruto did find about those acts later and apparently punished the culprits. After that, the King had made sure to post more loyal guards who would not torture Tobirama atleast.

But it was too late.

 _No!_

He felt the dormant power within him unleash its full fury at his defiance but was surprised when Tobirama's own cold fury clashed against it. Their wills clashed against each other viciously and Tobirama's eyes widened as he caught glimpses of the creature's memory.

With a silent hiss, he pushed him back into the dark corners of his mind.

Tobirama panted harshly and fell to his knees when the darkness receded, if only for now. He felt very tired and exhausted but there was no time to waste. Struggling he got back on his feet, grabbed a nearby paper and hastily wrote his message. Steeling himself, he called for one of his Senju guards and made sure to look his usual stoic self.

"Take this to Lord Sasuke. Don't give it to anyone else under any circumstances" instructed Tobirama,

"Yes, my lord" agreed the guard, as he took the letter and went away to carry out his orders.

As soon as the guard was gone, Tobirama hissed when the pain in his chest started to flare again. It was ordering him to do something treacherous, the pain was becoming so worse that he wanted to do the task and rest but the rational side of him knew very well that if he killed Madara then their army would be destroyed.

Grabbing **Raijin no Ken** , he hastily donned his armor before rushing out of his tent only to disappear into the vastness of the desert.

In his haste, he failed to see two figures following after him.

* * *

Sasuke Sarutobi had been very tense ever since he discovered the treacherous coup by his allies against Madara. To say they were fools would be an understatement. Granted, Madara had fewer loyalists on his side left now and if the Senju and their allies united then they could overthrow him. _Maybe._

But the fact that they currently had thousands of prisoners from the Land of Earth in their camp only made the situation more volatile. Those bastards would definitely use this coup to either escape or simply slaughter them all in the chaos. They had thousands in numbers and that was not even taking into account their injured comrades currently being treated upon by Senju medics.

Sasuke held no personal love for Madara but he _respected_ the man. At first he had his doubts about the eldest son of Tajima Uchiha, but regardless of his personality issues...Madara was a good leader who actually cared for his people.

The King's death had hit him hard and had led to his isolation, but if those fools tried to attack a wounded dragon, then they were all destined to burn. Naruto might give second chances to his enemies, Madara gave none.

What had baffled Sasuke was Tobirama's lack of either support or resistance to this foolish coup. His lord was acting strangely ever since news of Itama's death came, more than once Sasuke had sensed a darkness in Tobirama and had seen the young Senju fighting something within himself. When he asked, Tobirama had rebuffed his claim and said he was fine...but Sasuke didn't believe him. Yet he knew that until Tobirama gave the final permission, the traitors would not make their move for they feared and respected the white haired Senju.

It was why Sasuke was surprised when one of Tobirama's personal guards came rushing into his tent and wordlessly handed him a letter that bore Tobirama's personal seal.

Sasuke quickly opened it up and read the dreaded order he had been waiting for.

Whatever his personal issues and opposition to the coup plotters, he was bound to obey Tobirama's command regardless of his personal opinions.

And his lord had given him a command.

Sasuke burnt the letter and grimly looked at the lone messenger.

 _"Prepare the men"_

* * *

Tobirama knelt on the cool sand of the desert and glanced at the moon shining in the sky. More than half of his body was consumed in the darkness and he could feel the last of his control failing.

 **You cannot fight the darkness.**

Tobirama gave a silent scream as another pain terrorized his body. It sucked away every happy memory from his mind filling it with nothing but hate and anger.

 **Even now you fade.**

He coughed blood and and panted harshly. One of his eyes started to see things differently much to his horror.

 **One flame alone in the dark.**

His trembling hands etched towards his holy sword. The blade of lightning made by Ashura himself had always been passed among his descendants and been a source of pride and power. As soon as he grasped the sword, he felt a serene chakra rushing to his body. So full of warmth and love. The two entities clashed fiercely and Tobirama distantly saw an older version of his brother emerge from the sword before merging with him.

 _Hashirama_

 _Tsunade_

 _Itama_

 _Kawarama_

 _Father_

 _Mother_

"I...am...the...son...of...Butsuma...descendant...of...Ashura...wielder...of...Raijin!" whispered Tobirama fiercely,

The darkness roared furiously inside of him but was momentarily stunned as **Raijin no Ken** unleashed a bolt of lightning straight across the darkened skies.

Shakily, Tobirama stood up on his knees and glanced at his flashing sword. It was calling to him like a mother would to its terrified child.

Grabbing the weapon firmly, he steeled himself as he now knew what he had to do. The darkness had too strong a hold on him, but atleast this way he would not be used to hurt his comrades and become a traitor to his people.

 _He could not betray Itama's memory and sacrifice, could not betray his King who died for their people!_

He raised **Raijin no Ken** pointing it right across his heart.

He was about to plunge the sword and end the darkness threatening to consume him alongwith his own life when two shadows whizzed past him. One of them firmly grabbed him from behind while the other swiftly stole his sword.

Tobirama protested weakly through his hazy vision but his captors paid him no attention. Hazily, he saw **Rajin no Ken** being raised high in the air making the sword glow even more brightly just before it came down right at his head. He closed his eyes knowing it was his end either way and screamed in agony when instead of taking off his head the sword sent a monstrous stream of holy lightning inside his body.

An inhuman scream echoed across the vast desert, one more powerful and painful than Tobirama's.

 _"Go back to the shadows!"_

Tobirama barely heard the feminine voice screaming that command fiercely and felt the darkness lose hold off him. More and more of his body could be felt by him again as the dark power started to recede. The one holding him firmly didn't slacken his grip even when Tobirama thrashed violently.

The female holding the holy sword pointed the blade right at Tobirama's forehead.

A shockwave was unleashed and Tobirama sighed in relief when he felt something be violently pushed out of his body. He gracelessly collapsed on the ground as his captor let go of his grip.

The darkness screamed in pain as it crashed violently on the desert sand, however it soon started to rise to take the shape of dark creature in humanoid form with demonic yellow eyes.

It gave out an inhuman scream as its first enemy approached him.

Danzo, son of Tobi Shimura.

Tobirama blinked in surprise as he watched through his hazy vision. The Shimura heir was part of Madara's _Personal Guard_ , what the hell was he doing here?

The sight of Mikoto Uchiha wielding **Raijin no Ken** in one hand and her own sword in the other surprised Tobirama even more. What was the **Commander** of Madara's _Personal guard_ alongwith her fellow brother in arms doing here of all places? Why were they not with their sworn leader?

Now that he looked at the creature and was free from his control, he remembered its name.

 **Zetsu.**

It moved too quickly evading Danzo's strikes but was still reeling from the forceful eviction from Tobirama's body. It also looked injured if the black blood oozing out of his head was any indicator. Even in this state, it cast an aura of death and misery making Tobirama's worst memories haunt him him again.

He saw Itama and Kawarama dying in front of him, Tsunade be burnt alive, and Hashirama be consumed in darkness. It made him scream and Danzo did the same as he was brought to his knees as he saw his own father die.

Mikoto fell to her knees as she was assaulted by the vision of how Naruto must have died. Alone, wounded and in pain. He called out to her for help but she could not reach him in time. Tears fell from her eyes as she watched the man she loved die in front of her, unable to do anything.

Zetsu grinned victoriously as he saw his enemies trembling in despair and horror.

 **"Foolish humans"**

He walked towards Danzo and conjured a spear made up of his dark chakra in his hand. The boy was thrashing in pain and calling out for his father, it was better to end the fool's misery.

He brought his spear down only to have it blocked by the cursed lightning sword of Ashura. Surprised, he saw Mikoto was the one opposing him and was momentarily stunned by the level of hatred and anger in the woman's eyes. He had known this woman had loved the King and surely news of his death combined with the dreaded vision would be enough to make her crumble. Instead, it had only awakened the dragon within her.

"For our King!'' she yelled murderously,

Zetsu quickly stepped back as the fierce Uchiha attacked him viciously. He quickly conjured roots of the ground to trap her only to have them be sliced apart by Mikoto's common sword. Her skill in Kenjutsu was just as good as the original members of the Kingsguard.

Trapped, Zetsu tried to sink into the ground in order to escape but Mikoto had other plans as she unleashed a massive bolt of lightning from Tobirama's sword that sent Zetsu flying away. Not giving the creature any time to resist, Mikoto moved in.

Zetsu parried her horizontal slash with his dark spear and cursed when **Rajin no Ken** didn't crumble like other swords. Mikoto kicked him brutally in the knees making it yell out in pain.

As he fell to his knees, Zetsu's eyed widened when the murderous Uchiha woman raised Ashura's sword.

 **"DISAPPEAR!"**

Mikoto brought down the lightning sword cleaving Zetsu from head to toe. The inhuman creature of darkness screamed in horrified agony as its dark chakra was literally consumed by Ashura's lingering power in the holy sword. His body was torn apart as well.

In a few seconds, Zetsu was literally evaporated from the world of men.

Mikoto panted harshly as she fought off the rush of adrenaline before focusing her attention on the remaining two people in the area. Danzo had shaken off the genjutsu effect and had now crawled towards Tobirama. She quickly went towards the two men.

"Lord Senju" she called out to him, watching Danzo shake the white haired man.

"What are you doing here?" asked Tobirama groggily, as Danzo and Mikoto helped him stand up.

Much to his relief, Mikoto gave him back his holy sword and Tobirama felt his power return to him alongwith a very warm chakra. It healed his minor injuries and cleared the last cobwebs of darkness that Zetsu had left.

Relieved, he looked at the two young Uchiha loyalists for answers.

"Our Hokage sent us to help you" said Danzo frankly,

"How did Madara even know what was happening to me?" asked Tobirama in shock,

"We don't know. He only said that he saw a great darkness that was consuming you and instructed us to save Lord Hashirama's last brother at all costs" answered Mikoto,

Tobirama was left speechless.

Even in his grief at losing his last sibling, Madara still had enough strength and will left in him to help his best friend's little brother. Hashirama had always said that the day Madara's last brother died would be the moment when Madara gave up on everything.

 _But he didn't._

A small smile came on his lips. Maybe just maybe their world was not doomed to fall even after their King's death.

"Thank you" said Tobirama gratefully, earning brief nods from the two Hokage guards.

Before they could decide on their next course of action, they were silenced when Tobirama went very pale. Wordlessly, the Senju ran towards the northern direction making Mikoto and Danzo curse but follow after him. They ran for several long minutes with Tobirama being bombarded by pleas to stop and other questions. He quickly silenced the two younger ninjas when they climbed on top of a sand dome and saw the vision waiting for them.

 _A wave of darkness was charging._

 _Thousands upon thousands of bodies._

 _Deceased sand and earth ninjas and civilians._

 _Men, women, children, even large scorpions all heading straight for the direction of Madara's camp._

"Is this the enemy our King faced?" asked Danzo in horror,

"It would appear so" answered Tobirama grimly,

"I see many Kaguyas among them alongwith few of those white haired bastards. Are they the Otsutsuki that Shisui warned us about?" asked Mikoto worriedly, if these monsters had managed to kill someone powerful like Naruto...then what chance did they have?

Tobirama saw the skies darken with clouds hiding the moon. Vast sandstorms had started to appear across the entire desert that would easily create panic among Madara's camp while also allowing this heathen army to reach them silently. By the time Madara would realize the threat, it would all be over.

"Danzo, Mikoto...warn Madara now!" commanded Tobirama, his eyes fixed on the white haired Otsutsuki marching behind the army of dead.

Danzo nodded but Mikoto hesitated knowing very well what Tobirama was planning to do. She had no doubt about his prowess for he was the second most powerful ninja of their army after Madara. Her hesitation didn't go unnoticed as Tobirama reared back and glared at her.

"Run, you fools!"

Danzo grabbed Mikoto by the shoulder and started dragging her way. Mikoto cast one last glance backwards as Tobirama unleashed his holy sword and walked forward. She had failed in her mission but there was no time to lament with death marching for them all.

"You are a good man, Tobirama" she said sadly, making the Senju glance back at her.

 _"No, I am not"_

He walked away with those words leaving Mikoto and Danzo to make a mad dash towards their army camp to warn their comrades of the impending approach of the army of dead and Otsutsuki.

* * *

The army of dead had been charging through the sandstorms without any trouble when they were suddenly forced to stop by their masters. The four Otsutsuki emerged from the rear ranks as they felt the immense power marching towards them. Just one look at the thundering clouds was enough the show the energy build up.

Had Zetsu failed? The creature was supposed to corrupt Tobirama and make the man launch an inner coup allowing the Otsutsuki to finish the shinobi army when it was torn apart. Zetsu had plagued Tobirama's body for months now and had infested his brain with thoughts of mercenary armies coming to his aide wherein truth those armies were those of the Otsutsuki who would slaughter everyone including both Uchiha and Senju.

But watching Tobirama stand in front of them with a menacing glare was enough to convey that Zetsu had failed.

It could very well be possible that the ancient creature had perished.

 _"Kill him"_ commanded the lead Otsutsuki,

The army of dead charged forward at their command having no sense of self preservation, for if they had then they wouldn't be running towards a man having the killing intent of a mini-tailed beast.

And certainly not the one holding Ashura's blade in his hand.

Sheer cold fury spread across Tobirama's murderous eyes as he saw his enemies charging at him. He raised his holy sword high in the air making the clouds cackle thunderously.

 **"YOU SHALL NOT PASS!"**

His warcry combined with the chakra released from his body merged with his sword that sent a beam of energy straight into the raging clouds. Blinding light descended from the dark skies shrouding every living creature in the vast desert.

The Otsutsuki had to urgently take cover behind their massive reanimated scorpions and even their powerful eyes were blinded and they felt the sand beneath their feet tremble as the land was rocked with a monstrous explosion.

Ashes and fire were all they saw when they emerged from their cover alongwith the charred remains of nearly 4000 of their minions. Not a trace of them was left in this world except for ash and that too disappeared in the scorched desert.

Heavy rains fell from the dark clouds alongwith random bolts of lightning that incinerated anyone unfortunate enough to get in its way.

From the field of smoke came a volley of fluttering paper shards and the Otsutsuki were forced to take cover again as the explosives on the paper went off shredding even more ranks of their forces. By the time, they emerged from their cover they saw Tobirama charging towards their army with his holy sword.

 _"Release the beasts!"_ commanded the lead Otsutsuki,

The group of scorpions roared as they charged forward towards the lone Senju warrior and if possible Tobirama's cold smirk became even more dangerous.

The scorpions raised their tails unleashing several hundred needles laced with their deadly poison at Tobirama only for the man to disappear in a quick flash. Before anyone could understand what happened, the Senju reappeared below one of the beasts and jabbed his lightning blade clean through. The scorpion roared in agony and violently lashed out with its tail at its two comrades nearby sending them flying away.

Emerging from the corpse, Tobirama saw two more scorpions furiously open their mouths launching a wave of poisonous smoke right at him.

His hands weaved through a set of hand seals rapidly and he focused his attention on the two sources of energy that had unleashed the poisonous smoke and were now standing behind it.

 **"Water Style: Water Bullets!"**

His sensory abilities didn't betray him and the tell tale sounds of twin scorpions screaming in agony told him that he had hit the targets. The blind scorpions now rampaged wildly through their own army killing scores of dead warriors as they tried to stem back the pain at the loss of their eyes.

The rains were falling heavily from the skies allowing Tobirama enough source to make his next move as he was now being swarmed by dead warriors from all sides.

 _Is this what you had to face, little brother?_

 **"Water Style: Water Wall!"**

He unleashed a massive tidal wave in all four directions that sent hundreds of dead warriors tumbling away unable to match the force that was nature.

Still more and more charged at him but he was ready for them.

 **"Hirashin"**

Soon enough the desert battlefield was glowing with bright white flashes as Tobirama apparated across distances wrecking havoc on the surprised dead warriors. For all their mighty numbers, they were too slow and no match for the power of Ashura's sword that burned them alive instantly and freed their twisted souls. Combine that with Tobirama's speed, quick reflexes and rational thinking unleashed a _massacre_ across the battlefield.

Most of the enemy scorpions were either dead, badly injured or went berserk.

Thousands of dead warriors were literally evaporated on Tobirama's lone lightning strike and hundreds more joined them with each passing minute being cut down by the Senju's swordsmanship and lethal water ninjutsu.

Tobirama kept the monsters at bay knowing very well that he could not allow them to reach Madara anytime soon. It was easier said than done and he had to repeatedly force the dead warriors from surrounding him. Even so for all his power and talents, Tobirama was bound by mortality.

 _The dead were not._

His inner battle with Zetsu had tired him to a degree but he kept the hordes of dead at bay for **_twenty_** long minutes before fatigue started to catch up to him. Using Hirashin repeatedly took a toll on his muscles, firing devastating ninjutsu ate away at his chakra reserves no matter how large they were and everytime he fought the dead one or two managed to land blows on his body through their sheer numbers.

Yet his fury burned brightly than ever. The humiliation that the Zetsu and Otsutsuki wanted to put him and his people through encouraged him to fight on.

He ducked and raised his sword in time blocking the dozens more swords from the dead warriors. With a roar, he pushed making them go flying away. **Rajin no Ken** was slashed in a total 360 degree angle severing dozens more heads from bodies.

Seeing more dead about to pounce on him, Tobirama used his teleportation technique once more.

He had barely touched the sand and was preparing to fight more dead again when he felt the attack coming. He twisted backwards and raised his sword.

 _His flesh was pierced._

Surprised he stared at the long white shaped spear lodged clean through his upper chest. He coughed blood from his lips as his knees threatened to fall apart but the sight of dead warriors charging at him again made him snarl.

Tobirama unleashed dozens of water bullets mercilessly severing heads from bodies while he charged forward and started slicing apart as many enemies as he could with the help of his sword.

There were so many of them, so many attacks coming from all sides, so many to counter against.

He never heard the whistling sound in the air but did buckle painfully when one more similar spear pierced his back.

As he turned around, he caught sight of the ones who hurt him just in time as one more spear pierced his heart.

Tobirama felt the last of his strength fade as he fell to his knees. He couldn't breathe properly, pain flooded through his entire body and his vision started to darken. Blood leaked from his body like a raging river and hazily he saw the army of dead part as the Otsutsuki warriors who struck him down approached.

He watched them come forward. The four white haired bastards with their smug looks raised their white shaped spears around him. Tobirama saw the other three staring at the one in the center with deference which could only mean he was the leader of this army. A thin smile came on his lips.

 **Rajin no Ken** fell from his hands and the four Otsutsuki spears pierced his flesh mercilessly.

A silent scream left his lips.

Yet through the fog of agony, he again grabbed his sword much to the shocked Otsutsuki's horror.

 **Raijin no Ken** unleashed massive bolts of lightning that struck two of the Otsutsuki sending them crashing away. Tobirama still lodged with the spears in his body roared as he grabbed the spear of the leading Otsutsuki and yanked it forwards forcing the man to come crashing towards him.

The stunned warrior could not even unleash a scream as Tobirama pierced his sword through the man's brain and reduced him to ashes.

The army of dead screamed as its leader was murdered and the last Otsutsuki still standing screeched in hatred as he raised his spear, this time to sever Tobirama's head from his shoulders.

Tobirama closed his eyes waiting for the inevitable final blow.

Time lost its meaning as Tobirama now fell gracelessly to the ground. His thoughts were jarred and confusing but he was still alive.

He heard an inhuman scream roar across the skies followed by thousands of battlecries.

Through his hazy vision, he saw a sight he had never seen before.

In the dark skies, he saw a strange monster.

It had the face of a demonic bull with two large horns, its body was strangely in the shape of a man but marred in dark shadows and scorching flames. Two large dark wings made of just shadows that were even barely visible were carrying the creature through the dark skies. Its inhuman screech made the lone Otsutsuki take several steps back as the beast's demonic red eyes narrowed down on him. When it opened its monstrous mouth, a wave of dark fire was unleashed across the desert.

 _"Uruloki"_ whispered the Otsutsuki warrior in terror,

Tobirama did not know the meaning of that word but he did see the Otsutsuki turn tail and run grabbing one of his fallen comrades with him. The other injured one tried to get up but was soon engulfed in dark flames unleashed by the creature.

 **"KILL THEM ALL!"**

The roars of thousands of enraged shinobi filled the air as an army of ninjas made up from the Land of Fire and even Wind as well as Earth joined the battle slaughtering scores of the disorganized dead warriors.

But most devastating was the creature of fire and darkness.

 _Uruloki._

What a strange name, Tobirama could not help but think as his lifeblood drained from him.

Yet it was a satisfying sight to watch that dark creature turn the battlefield into a _field of fire_ burning thousands of dead warriors mercilessly. Tobirama was quite surprised to see Madara standing inside that creature and his eyes were full of anger as well as hate.

These bastards had killed the Uchiha's last brother and tonight they were truly going to face the wrath of a dragon.

Tobirama himself felt satisfied to watch the killers of his own brother be butchered under Madara's wrath. It was poetic justice.

 _Karma was a real bitch._

He didn't know how long he lay in the bloodied sand but slowly the sounds of battle started to fade. The screams became less and less frequent until one roar of victory was unleashed in the desert by the living as they vanquished the dead.

His breathing was getting erratic and his eyes were moist from the unbearable pain coursing through his shattered body when he heard the hurried footsteps. He was forced to open his eyes fully when he felt someone touch his cheek gingerly.

"Is it over?" asked Tobirama tiredly, coughing blood at the man before him.

Madara sadly watched the state Tobirama was left in and he didn't know why it made his heart clench in pain. Tobirama didn't deserve this.

"Yes" answered Madara honestly, as his Mangekyo sharingan saw the worry in Tobirama's gaze.

"Did...Mikoto...and...Danzo...make...it?" questioned Tobirama painfully,

To his relief, the two young warriors were standing nearby with Mikoto crying as Danzo and Kakashi held her. It brought a faint smile to his lips.

Sasuke Sarutobi came running forward alongwith Rei Namikaze and froze at the state Tobirama was in. Rei placed a hand on the Sarutobi's shoulder and saw his eyes moisten up.

"Did...you...stop...the...traitors?" asked Tobirama tiredly, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Your warning saved us all. Sasuke helped me imprison Hiro, Tori and Hayate alongwith their supporters. We stopped the coup before it started and Mikoto warned us about the enemy allowing us time to prepare. You saved us all, Tobirama. Now let us do the same" urged Madara, as he tried to lift the Senju only to have the young man resist his attempt.

"Leave it... _It...is...over_ "

Madara did not want to hear those words nor did he want to see the regretful look in Tobirama's eyes. He looked at Rei for help but she only shook her head.

"The...world...of...men...will...fall...and...the...Otsutsuki...shall...bring...darkness...to...this...world. I've...ruined...us...all" lamented Tobirama,

If only he had been strong enough to resist Zetsu, if only he had been able to discern the Otsutsuki's plans beforehand then his brother would not be dead today. Their King would still be alive and Tsunade wouldn't be a widow, Madara wouldn't have lost his last brother.

Tears fell from his eyes as he realized the grief he had brought to his loved ones and it was about to fill his heart with regret and pain when Madara grabbed his cheeks.

Tobirama looked into those dark eyes so full of anger and grim determination.

" **I will stop them no matter what. I will not let this world fall**... _nor let our people die_ " promised Madara sincerely,

Tobirama's eyes widened on hearing those words and he felt relief flood through him when he saw the sincerity in Madara's eyes. Uchiha and Senju...

" _Our people?_ " asked Tobirama happily, making Madara smile grimly.

"Our people"

A relieved but proud smile appeared on Tobirama's lips as his trembling hands grasped his holy sword. Madara's eyes widened when the young Senju offered him his prized sword.

"Tobirama..." said Madara, unable to hide his shock but the Senju still smiled as he placed the sword in Madara's hands.

"I...am...glad...I...followed...you...my...brother"

"My...Hokage"

 _"My...King"_

Life vanished from Tobirama's body yet his proud and moist eyes still stared at Madara making a lone tear fall from the Hokage's eyes. With trembling hands, Madara closed the young Senju's open eyes and respectfully took the holy sword offered to him.

Regret and guilt flooded his heart as he glanced at Tobirama's lifeless body.

 _Now we both don't have any brothers left, Hashirama._

He could not help but remember how hostile and tense Tobirama had been at the start of this war. Yet for some reason, he had supported Madara to the point that they both started trusting each other. Madara would never deny the fact that his victories were achieved many times due to Tobirama's support and shrewd thinking. They both had their differences, but the love for their people and siblings had kept them together.

It was that same feeling that made Tobirama warn Madara about the coup. Even though a foul creature corrupted him, Tobirama held on to his code and didn't allow his conflicted emotions to harm his people.

In many ways, Tobirama was like him.

Cynical, cold-hearted, determined, brave...and loyal.

"Be at peace. Son of Ashura" whispered Madara respectfully,

The Hokage finally got up from the ground and looked at the warriors surrounding him. Even the now freed warriors from Land of Wind and Earth were stunned after the enemy they just fought. It was no longer ninja against ninja, nation against nation...

 _But Men against death._

Madara saw not just the Senjus and their supporters but also Uchiha's, Namikaze and Shimura glancing at Tobirama with sadness and pride.

 _Hashirama, you wanted me to build the village of our dreams for our siblings. But now they are all gone and yet we must fight on._

The Hokage glanced at his fighters, both new and old whispering the ancient words of the Uchiha to give them hope in this dark hour.

"From the ashes we shall rise again" promised Madara fiercely, as he raised **Raijin no Ken**.

He was glad to see his army raise their own swords in respect and agreement. There were no cheers for this victory for they all knew it was far from over.

Mikoto and Rei came forward and respectfully took away Tobirama's body soon to be cremated. Madara would make sure that the Senju's ashes and sword reached his family no matter what.

If Shisui's warning was accurate, then the enemy was currently ravaging across the Land of Fire with Madara's father the last opposition standing in their way.

Naruto and Naori were dead, so were many of the Uchiha fighters. The Senjus were not much different for they too had suffered equal losses. Madara had a grim feeling that by the time this war ended, the sons of Indra and Ashura would perish.

But none of those possibilities mattered anymore.

With his brother dead, he was the highest ranking leader still left alive and he had an army that his nation dearly needed in this hour of need. As Hokage it was his duty to protect them even to his death.

Even the warriors from Land of Wind and Earth knew this threat was grave enough to set their differences aside because if the Land of Fire was destroyed, then sooner or later the Otsutsuki would come for them as well and they would not be able to stop those monsters. It was better to stand united then fall divided.

They all looked at the First Hokage as he made his decision.

 _''Let's go home"_


	32. Return of the King

**Thank you for the support. Hope you continue it.**

 **Let the final arc begin!**

 **Chapter 32**

 **Return of the King**

* * *

(Land of Lightning)

Shisui attentively observed the fortifications and traps being established across the beach. Watching ninjas and Samurai work side by side would have been a bizarre sight a few months ago, but now after seeing the dead walk among the world...it was not that much of a surprise that men regardless of their different beliefs were working together for the survival of their race.

Yet despair and anxiety were clearly visible among many for they were worried about the enemy and the fate of their loved ones.

It had been three days since Shisui arrived with the meager Kingsguard force, the majority of the Kingsguard survivors had hopefully delivered the Uzumaki refugees safely into Lord Tajima's hands and joined the Uchiha leader in the defense of their homeland.

The Senju family had not taken the death of one of their own very well.

Even so, Hashirama and Tsunade despite their grief over the loss of their brother had devoted themselves to saving the life of their wounded King knowing very well that if Naruto died, then it would be a disaster. Having already endured several defeats and terrible losses, their people would not survive the death of their King.

He had been amazed at their healing prowess as the two siblings healed even the most grievous wounds of the King in two days. But that was where the good news ended...

Hashirama had suggested that while Naruto was physically recovering, it was his mind that worried the Senju leader. The King had lost a lot of blood and combine that with the loss of his beloved aunt who was like a mother to him, nobody was sure what the mental damage was. Shisui had insisted them not to give up and keep at it, while he and his friends alongwith Mito, Hanzo and Mifune took up the charge of preparing their army for the upcoming battle.

He had been very surprised when Tsunade informed him that almost the entire Land of Lightning was badly ravaged. Villages were utterly annihilated, cities burnt to the ground and every last trace of civilization whether ninja or others wiped out ruthlessly. It explained why the Otsutsuki had so many dead warriors in their ranks, the bastards had silently attacked this nation and destroyed it completely first before marching on Uzu after bolstering their ranks.

Yet they had not managed to kill every last man as Hashirama did find a few thousand survivors who had taken refuge in the deep caves within the mountains. Most of them were civilians but there were a handful mountain clan survivors as well who were eager for vengeance. The fact that they readily accepted Naruto as their King proved how much they wanted to hurt the Otsutsuki for what they did to their people, not that they had much of a choice either.

Almost 40,000 warriors were against them with more than half being veteran Samurai and remaining skilled shinobi. Those ninjas might not be on the level of the Kingsguard warriors but they were more than enough to subdue the few mountain clan and civilian survivors should they chose to resist.

They had joined without a single protest.

Despite the drastic situation, a grim hope was burning in his heart for if he combined every last person currently present in his army then he had 50,000 humans ready to fight. Granted only 43,000 of them were trained warriors with the rest civilians, merchants and even farmers but he would take whatever help he could find.

This time they had warriors like Hashirama, Tsunade, Mito, Hanzo, Mifune and most importantly the Nine Tailed fox with them.

They were also now familiar with the enemy's tactics but that information had been gained at a very high price.

The mountain clans had revealed that the Otustsuki had attacked them from the sea and stormed their coastal areas with ease. Even though they had only Kaguyas and Hagoromo warriors making the bulk of their army at that time, alongwith Uzumaki dead who had died on those foolish expeditions in the Land of Water centuries ago...none could match the Otsutsuki warriors in battle, much less their deadly King and Queen alongwith that cursed statue. Every person they killed only increased their army and the mountain clans had warned them that this time also the Otustuski would try to storm the coastal areas.

Shisui had taken their advice to heart and instructed the warriors to start making preparations. With Hashirama busy, he was the temporary army commander.

"We cannot afford another defeat, Shisui" said Takeshi hesitantly, as the boy sharpened his own sword.

"I know" relented Shisui, knowing his friend spoke the truth.

"No matter what happens we will crush those bastards here once and for all before we go to save our nation" decided Kagami, not an iota of doubt visible in his eyes something which Shisui desperately wished he could share.

"You seem _cocky!_ " teased Takeshi with a grin, earning a scoff from Kagami.

"Last time I checked my _single_ kick was enough to send that cursed statue flying. Even **_crack_** it" boasted Kagami proudly,

Shisui smiled when he saw Takeshi sulk at that remark. There was no doubt about Kagami's taijutsu prowess and he had played a large part in stopping that statue from destroying them all on Uzu.

Out of their entire group, he was the one who never gave up no matter the odds which was again proved when the boy clenched his fists grimly.

"My father told me the Ninth gate can unleash a power never seen before. If push comes to shove..." muttered Kagami,

He was stopped when Shisui placed a firm hand on his shoulder, his dark eyes boring into his friend's very soul.

"I forbid you. Unleashing that power will kill you and you haven't even mastered it yet" warned Shisui,

"We may not have a choice" protested Kagami, but Shisui didn't budge in his unnerving stare.

Takeshi was about to intervene in order to break the tension when they were all disrupted as Itachi came galloping towards them on a Samurai horse. The boy's face was as unreadable as ever to anyone else, but to his childhood friends the small spark in his eyes didn't go unnoticed.

"Come quickly!"

Without any protest, the three boys charged after their friend.

* * *

Shisui and his group stormed through the large tent with haste and nearly toppled several people who were already present. Many grumbled at the sudden intrusion but soon sealed their lips when they realized the identity of the four Kingsguard.

They saw Hashirama and Mito standing near the bed. Their hands were clasped together tightly as they stared in one particular direction.

It took some more maneuvering for the boys to reach forward brushing past Hanzo, Mifune and many other minor ninja lords.

They froze at the sight they witnessed.

In the large bed, a heavily wounded man with pale white hair was slowly trying to open his eyes.

The queen had tears in her eyes as she gently rubbed the man's cheeks and helped him sit up when he tried to move. His breathing was shaky and he was as pale as a corpse...but his eyes did open.

The first thing he saw was a halo of gold.

He squinted his eyes trying to clear out the cobwebs in his vision until a face started to form before him slowly. He leaned in closer to get a better look and a small smile came upon his lips.

"I know you" he whispered,

His trembling hand touched her cheek making tears fall from her beautiful hazel eyes.

 _"Tsunade"_

Hashirama smiled when Tsunade gave out a joyous laugh before kissing her husband deeply. How long had he waited to see that smile. It had disappeared ever since Naruto went to Uzu and threatened to never come again when they discovered Itama's fate. Watching her regain some of that happiness lightened his own heavy heart and he felt Mito squeeze his hand gently making him smile at her.

The couple shared a few private moments of intimacy with Naruto trying to believe that this was real while Tsunade memorized each and every inch of his face.

His eyes then settled upon four familiar faces who were all smiling at him with relief and happiness. He himself felt quite overjoyed that alteast they had survived for he could not dare to bear to lose any one of them.

"My friends...''

Takeshi winked at him for that kiss with the queen, Kagami gave him a wide smile, Itachi gave a nod but his small smile said all that he felt, and Shisui...

"Welcome back, my king" said Shisui happily with a tearful smile,

Naruto gingerly touched his head remembering all that he had gone through in there. He would never be the same but atleast he was not as clueless as he once was.

"I was in a dream" he whispered, and was displeased when he saw that his hands were shaking and his hair had turned white. That was not even taking into account the fact that his entire body was a mess of bandages and he smelled like shit.

Shisui chuckled having realized his dilemma and approached forward.

"This belongs to you, my friend"

Naruto could not help but try to get up much to Tsunade's protest but on seeing that he was not going to relent, she helped him stand up. He looked at his best friend who was holding out **Dawn** towards him.

His trembling fingers reached towards the hilt of his ancestral weapon and he could not stop the eagerness flooding his heart. **Dawn** was very dear to him and a part of his people's history. But now that he knew its complete truth and every ancestor that ever wielded this sword it made him yearn for it as if it was a part of his own soul.

There were more than one moist eyes in the tent as the King unleashed **Dawn** from its scabbard and for a moment the tent was blinded in glittering light.

Tsunade gasped in surprise alongwith everyone else as the light died down.

A thick layer of chakra had been unleashed by the blade which was now merging with Naruto's body. To their sheer shock, Naruto's white hair turned their natural brown again. The paleness of his skin vanished to be replaced by a healthy natural color. His eyes and face lost the tired and dazed look regaining his focus. But most of all, it was his aura that now burned as brightly as a dragon radiating power and iron will.

Shisui was stunned when he saw instead of the regular sharingan there was now a shuriken shape burning in the King's eyes.

Naruto looked around and was surprised to see people familiar to him and even strangers kneel before him. Their surprise and even awe clearly visible for him to see. He himself shared those same feelings but unlike them he knew what power it was that restored him back to strength.

 _Dawn is not just a holy sword. It is not just made up of foreign metal and the chakra of the Ten Tails, but it also contains chakra from each and everyone of its wielder throughout the sands of time. The blood of the dragon rests in this blade and it shall answer a true Uchiha's call when the time comes._

Indra's words echoed through his mind making him grip his prized sword even more fiercely. No longer was he afraid of the power of his people, no longer was he wary of his ancestors.

His eyes narrowed dangerously as they settled down on the fox that was staring at him in shock.

Noticing his stern glare made the beast flinch.

* * *

Kurama was feeling nervous after a very very long time.

He had to be when faced with a pair of Mangekyo eyes staring at him unnervingly. If that was not the case, the aura of Naruto felt very different than what it used to be. There was his familiar warmth which had flared brightly amongst his loved ones but when he ordered them to leave him alone with the fox, it vanished.

Instead, it was now replaced by coldness and simmering anger waiting to erupt.

"Are you going to kill me now, Kyuubi?"

The fox's eyes widened on being called that name for the first time by his friend. What terrified him was the knowing stare that Naruto was bestowing upon him. The King got up from his chair and walked around the tent with his every step making Kurama feel even more nervous.

The Uchiha stared back at him and this time his eyes were full of hate and betrayal.

"That was your _mission_ , wasn't it? Kill _every_ Uchiha who awakened **these eyes** " revealed Naruto, gesturing at his evolved dojutsu.

 **"How do you...** _Indra!_ **"** said Kurama in despair, his doubts regarding his friend being Indra's reincarnation being proven true finally.

" _Yes_. My ancestor who had many shortcomings but one who was also manipulated and betrayed by his family. A man who fought his brother for power but also died for him when the situation demanded. Yes, _that_ Indra. And every Uchiha that you killed over the thousands of years without hesitation for the sole reason of them awakening these eyes. It got so bad that you started eliminating _every_ powerful sharingan user with the potential to awaken these eyes. Isn't that right, Kyuubi?" asked Naruto darkly,

 **"Indra is twisting you to his will, Naruto! Don't fall for his lies"** said Kurama pleadingly, earning a raised eyebrow from the Dragon King.

"And aren't you twisted by _Hagoromo's will?_ Even now you obey his command, you were not staying in that valley because you were just keeping watch over my people. You were _waiting_ for the next Mangekyo user or even a powerful sharingan user to be born so that you can again fulfill your mission. My people didn't just lose our dojutsu because of their own mistakes but also for the fact that _you_ killed our strongest warriors every generation" snarled Naruto murderously,

 **"But I didn't kill you or your brother, did I?"** asked Kurama calmly, his shock now being replaced by the desire to adhere to his code given to him by the Sage. There was a reason he had never befriended any Uchiha in history for fear of this exact moment happening. Yet he had made a choice and the cards were out now.

Naruto laughed.

Kurama saw a shadow of Indra laughing at him with that familiar malice, hate and loathing.

"No, you did something _much worse_ "

Kurama's eyes widened when Naruto's Mangekyo swirled and he felt himself and the boy be sucked into a dark portal.

* * *

When his vision was restored again, the fox found himself standing in a vast valley surrounded by mountains on all sides. Light barely reached the land giving the entire area an even more gloomy appearance.

And there was Naruto standing in front of him. Kurama had never felt so much power in any other Uchiha after Indra than the one he was feeling in Naruto now. Deep in that twisted heart was so much pain, anger and sadness.

 **"Naruto, don't fall to the curse of these eyes!"** insisted Kurama, hoping for once these damned eyes did not steal his only friend in thousands of years.

"Maybe I am falling but it does not change the fact that you _lied_ to me my entire life. From the beginning you have been an **enemy** of the Uchiha. _You killed so many of my people! Innocent and guilty both! And on the words of a crazy old man!_ " yelled Naruto murderously,

Kurama was about to reply when the dark power within his friend surged like a raging volcano making him take a step back.

" _Will you kill my daughters too if they ever awaken these eyes? Did you ever wonder that not every Uchiha wanted them? That it is in our blood to awaken them when consumed by grief? Not every Uchiha is a monster! Who gave you the right to kill my people?"_ roared Naruto,

 **"Indra nearly destroyed the world when he awakened those eyes! He fell to darkness just like you are now!"** yelled Kurama furiously, why couldn't the boy understand why it had been necessary to keep the peace?

"And you condemned and murdered _entire generations_ of my people for the crimes of **one** man?" asked Naruto in disbelief,

 **"The Otsutsuki are about to destroy the world and you are stuck in the past!"** hissed Kurama disappointedly,

Naruto stumbled as if someone had slapped him.

" _The past?_ It's not about that, fox. It's about _us_ , **our friendship**. I _never_ lied to you, never kept secrets from you, stood by you no matter what. But I never knew you truly, did I... _Kurama?_ " asked Naruto sadly,

 **"I was bound by my duty, Naruto. You have to understand that!"** pleaded Kurama,

"Everyone of us has a choice, fox. I made mine when I chose to kill those scumbag Uchiha that night, they were my clansmen but I did what I thought was right despite my allegiances. I made peace with the killers of my brothers for the sake of my people! I only lied to my wife for the safety of my daughters and even then I eventually told her the truth. Were you ever going to tell me the truth about you? About what you've done?" demanded Naruto,

He waited for the beast to say anything but speech had somehow left its lips.

Naruto could not believe what he was seeing. He had denied all these allegations that Indra laid on Kurama about killing Uchiha's without provocation even those who were innocent, actively playing a part in hunting down powerful sharingan users over the course of history, playing a vital part in making the sharingan extinct for many centuries.

But now the silence of his friend was all the proof he needed.

He had trusted the fox with everything, even more than he ever did with Madara who was his blood brother. Yet the Biju had twisted history, made his ancestors appear as monsters when they were just men with ambitions, supported him when he saw that it would perhaps achieve peace between Uchiha and Senju which was what the Sage wanted.

 _It had all been about the Sage's wishes._

His heart broke and he could not help but imagine if this was what Indra must have felt when Ashura betrayed him. Were Indra's descendants forever destined to be betrayed?

 **"Would you have forgiven me had I told you the truth? You were the first friend I made in a lifetime, you were different from your people. I could not afford to lose you over my past"** confessed Kurama, his eyes unable to meet those betrayed ones of his best friend's.

"You should have given me a _chance_ to make my own decision. Just as I gave one to Tsunade with my own truth" said Naruto sadly,

Kurama tensed as he felt the monstrous power flare up. He dared to look at Naruto and saw the desire to fight burn in his eyes. The boy wanted to hurt him badly just as Kurama had hurt his heart.

The fox didn't know what to do but was saved from his dilemma when Naruto's dark power subsided. All that was left was the broken look in the boy's eyes.

"You were _my brother_ , Kurama"

The Biju was about to rush towards his friend only to see him turn his back on him. The dark portal opened again proving the fact that Naruto had mastered his new eyes. When the boy looked back there were tears falling from his dark red eyes.

 _"I loved you"_

The portal consumed the King making him disappear and Kurama's world came crashing down.

* * *

Naruto stood alone on top of the mountain observing the vast army camp beneath him. He now had a lot more men to fight his enemies with, but most of them were scared sheep who would run at the first sight of the enemy.

Most of his elite warriors were butchered and now made a part of the enemy force.

He could not help but wonder whether these people would be able to face their turned loved ones as their enemies. Would they flee? Would they crumble? Would they hope that this nightmare ended?

 _Weak._

He could not rely on numbers, not anymore. His trusted friend had betrayed him, the only ones he could truly trust to have his back were his four childhood friends.

No matter, he was not weak anymore. Either these warriors would man up and fight for their survival or perish.

There was no room for weakness against death.

He clenched his fists and felt unending hatred burn in his heart as he remembered Kimimaro's arrogant smirk when he killed Naori and almost killed him.

He could feel those bastards approaching and soon he would face that worm again.

But this time he would burn him alive, rip him apart, make such a mockery of him that a thousand generations from now would tremble when they heard of that fool's fate.

He took in a few deep breaths to calm his nerves and control his hatred. Indra had warned him that his new power would change him and the man was not wrong.

Never in his entire life had Naruto expected Kurama to betray him like that.

He had shared everything with the fox thinking him to be a friend only to be betrayed. The Biju could do whatever it wanted, he just didn't care anymore.

There was one more person he had to confront before going into battle. He would settle the matter once and for all so that his mind was not troubled by silly issues ever again.

With those thoughts, he flared his powers in search of the person's chakra signature and after a few seconds discovered their location.

* * *

Tsunade blinked in surprise when she saw Naruto march into her tent swiftly. She had trouble believing that he recovered so quickly from his injuries. Even if his wounds were healed, his body shouldn't be strong enough so fast. She had never believed as to why the Uchiha's were so protective of **Dawn** but after seeing the power the sword had, she could understand why.

She didn't know why but she could feel a change in Naruto's aura.

A sense of bitterness and bubbling anger was what she felt when she tried to feel his aura. It was further proved when he took in a deep breath to calm himself before looking at her regretfully.

"I'm sorry about Itama. I just came to know about him now...I will _avenge_ him and Naori" promised Naruto fiercely,

She approached him and laid a hand on his shoulder. Her eyes meeting his...

"There's something different about you. And it's not just your eyes..." commented Tsunade,

Naruto was about to tell her the truth but stopped himself. He needed to set things clear first before making another mistake. He had already made one by trusting Kurama blindly, he could not afford another with his wife no matter how dear she was to him.

"I've been through a lot" he reasoned,

"I'm sorry about your aunt. I wish I had known her better" consoled Tsunade honestly,

The air of awkwardness around them was heavy and they both felt it. Deciding not to let it grow, Tsunade grasped his cheeks with her hands making him look back at her.

"There is a distance between us, Naruto. Let us not widen it any further..." she pleaded,

He remained silent staring deeply into her eyes. She knew what he wanted, thankfully their separation had given her enough time to think things through.

"I'm sorry" she whispered,

If possibly the intensity of his stare magnified ten fold but the aura of anger and bitterness faded considerably from his heart. Something had changed in him but she could still feel remnants of his old self still in there. It was buried beneath layers of grief and pain, but it was still there.

" _You will be loyal to me and our family_. I really like you Tsunade and in time I will come to love you but not if you let your emotions rule our relationship. I will trust you with everything in my life and never hide anything from from this point onwards. Can you promise the same? Can you give me your unwavering loyalty?" he asked seriously, looking right into her eyes.

"Yes" she promised, and could not help but be a little turned on from his commanding presence.

He had been so hesitant and careful before but now it seemed like she was truly in the presence of a King and not someone trying to learn how to rule. There was no doubt or hesitation in his eyes and she could not help but confess a thing that had haunted her for past several days.

"When you were gone, I blamed myself for our fight. It was stupid of me to lash out at you like that but I promise to be better. It may take time but I will do my best for you. When I learned my brother died, a part of me died with him. But seeing you half dead made me realize that I have started to truly care about you. Neither of us are perfect but we can try to build something good by understanding each other. I don't know if what I feel for you is love...but I do know that I want _you_ in my life" confessed Tsunade,

She sighed in relief when a soft smile broke across his lips.

"Missed me that much?" he asked cockily, making her roll her eyes.

"Don't push your luck" she reprimanded playfully,

He stole her breath away by smashing their lips together eliciting a surprised gasp and moan from her at the same time. When they finally parted, she looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Someone seems eager" she teased, as her hands touched at his private regions.

He grinned.

"I can find someone else if you're not in the mood-"

He could not finish his sentence as she nearly growled and ripped his shirt apart before pushing him roughly towards the bed.

He rolled sideways when she jumped at him making her crash on the bed face-forwards eliciting a yelp from her.

He could not help but chuckle boisterously at her fate receiving playful punches to the chest from her in return. He let her hit him for a few moments before grabbing her arms and pinning them above her head with his one hand. With his other hand, he ripped apart her dress receiving a half-hearted protest from her.

He started planting kisses across her body but stopped when he noticed that her eyes were starting to get moist.

"Itama?" he asked gently, very well aware of the love a person had for their siblings.

She touched his heart and looked at him with moist eyes.

"You're hurting, aren't you?" she asked knowingly, making him hug her if only to hide his own miserable pain.

"There is no time to mourn the ones we lost. We have to fight" he whispered sadly,

When he woke up from his coma, for a moment he had expected Naori to be there to greet him only to remember she was gone. While approaching towards Tsunade's tent he had heard a few of her clansmen whispering about Itama's death which had also shocked him. He had assumed the young Senju had been busy elsewhere but to think he too was dead alongwith Shin Aburame, Ayato Uzumaki and so many others was too heavy a burden for him to bear.

It had been his duty to repel the enemy from Uzu but he had failed resulting into heavy losses on their side.

Now, he could not trust his strongest ally, certainly not after the secrets Kurama kept from him intentionally. He still wasn't sure what the fox would do now or what he himself was going to do about the beast.

"How do you deal with someone who has hurt you? Someone dear to you?" he asked her, and eased up so that he could look at her face properly.

"Where is this coming from?" she asked tentatively,

He sighed before telling her all that had happened to him after he was injured at Uzu. How he met Indra, the history of their world and the role of the Otsutsuki, about his new eyes, and about Kurama's past.

To her credit, Tsunade patiently listened without interrupting him even once. A feat which he never thought his impulsive wife was capable of. She also listened to him as he revealed his spat with Kurama just an hour ago.

"You feel betrayed"

He could not help but nod at her simple but accurate assessment because it was what he exactly felt towards the fox.

"I trusted him with everything but now I cannot help but doubt whether all his actions were just to fulfill the Sage's wishes of reconciling the Uchiha and Senju...or did he truly do it for me as _my friend?_ " questioned Naruto doubtfully,

"What does your heart say?" asked Tsunade gently, as she laid a few gentle kisses on his cheek and neck relaxing his tense muscles.

"Honestly? Right now I just want to harm the ones who hurt my people and my family. I just don't know what to do, Tsunade" he confessed tiredly,

"This power is making conflicting emotions rise within you. They are clashing with who you were before to who you are today. To be honest, I really don't know what is the right choice for you in this situation. But what I do know is the fact that people can _change_ with time. Even I never imagined myself ever _marrying_ an Uchiha much less coming to _care_ for one. Maybe it was the fox's mission to sabotage your clan and keep them in check but he went against his code by not harming you or your brother. He never knew that you would someday become King and bring peace between our people, and yet he fought for you against the Senjus. He stood by you even when your own family was angry with you, was one of the first to claim you King. Yes, his actions might have been influenced by the mission the Sage left him with...but I think despite his secrets and faults he did come to _care_ about you"

"There comes a point in everyone's life when they have to make tough choices. Ones which are not easy to make...I think the fox made his when he _chose you over his mission_. It does not lessen his guilt of keeping secrets from you or laying down his own biased account of your ancestors...that makes him more human to me"

She was surprised when Naruto smiled ruefully making her send him a curious look.

"The beast thinks himself to be _better_ than humans. I cannot imagine his reaction when he realizes that he made the same mistakes as any other human would. That ought to bring his over-inflated ego down a peg or two" said Naruto humorlessly,

Even as he said those words she saw the lingering worry ever present in his eyes. The Otsutsuki had done a great damage to his self confidence after inflicting repeated losses with each bearing painful casualties. She knew he would still fight because he was not someone who gave up, but for once she knew she had to say this whether he wanted to hear it or not.

"Whatever happens, be it victory or death. _I'll stand by you till the end_ " she promised,

A ghost of a smile appeared on his lips and she was glad to see the worry in his eyes be replaced by his usual confidence as he grinned back at her.

"There will only be victory or a greater victory" he promised,

She did not say anything else and simply kissed him.

* * *

(Two Days Later)

Dark clouds spread across the skies like a layer of ash robbing the earth from every last ray of sunlight. Heavy rains lashed out on the vast mountains ferociously drenching both rock and man in its fury. Distant thunder roared regularly with occasional lightning strikes hitting the soil making the ground tremble.

Even in such a dangerous weather, a gigantic mass of humans stood strong.

50,000 against the approaching wave of darkness led by the striking form of Kimimaro Otsutsuki.

The field was covered in various flags and banners, men and women adorning different battle armors, anxious eyes and nervous hearts awaiting the inevitable clash.

What made the living more nervous was the sudden absence of the Nine Tailed fox from their ranks. The beast was supposed to be their trump card but yet it was nowhere to be found despite their best efforts. It had sent a wave of anger, panic and fear among the army which was eventually stopped by Hashirama and the King himself. No explanations were offered but the chaos was stopped by the monstrous aura unleashed by the two men. It had made everyone back down and get in line despite their doubts.

Those same two men were currently standing at the head of their army alongside the queen. Behind them stood the four Kingsguard with the left and right flanks maintained by Hanzo and Mifune respectively.

Even the civilian fighters among the army could see the enemy outnumbered them vastly. Maybe even _three_ times atleast.

It was why a wave of relief and cheers spread across the human army when they heard a monstrous roar followed by the menacing form of the Kyuubi charge through the valley and wordlessly join beside them. The beast expectantly glanced at the King and flinched when the said monarch never even looked at him once.

The King's heart was as cold as ice and filled with nothing but pure hatred as his dark red eyes glared murderously at the approaching form of Kimimaro and his massive army.

He turned back and looked at his warriors. His people were afraid and he couldn't blame them for they would face their worst nightmares tonight.

"I don't know what will happen tonight. But I won't lie to you...it is going to be _brutal_ " declared Naruto loudly,

Thousands winced at his harsh words and the sight of the gigantic enemy army only served to increase that fear but they still looked at their King whose eyes held sadness and determination as he glanced at Hashirama.

"We've lost good people...we may lose more" confirmed Naruto, earning solemn nods from Hashirama and Tsunade as well.

Naruto looked at his friends and this time his eyes were full of nothing but anger.

"The Otsutsuki attacked our world. They killed our people, our friends, our family. They think we'll crumble tonight before their might but they are **WRONG!** " yelled the King defiantly, and was satisfied when the most defiant among his soldiers clenched their teeth in silent fury as they now saw what the Otsutsuki had done to their loves ones and friends.

"They started this war! But we will not just finish it...we will make them **_regret_** it! Tonight we show them and everyone else in this universe what happens when you cross **Mankind!** " declared Naruto fiercely,

Thousands of humans stepped forward with grim determination and burning vengeance in their hearts.

The sight of **Dawn** being unleashed by the King made the entire human army unleash their own weapons deafening the entire land in a frightening sound.

 _"No more running!"_

 _"No more hesitation!"_

 _"No more waiting!"_

King Naruto Uchiha, The First Dragon King, ruler of the elemental nations turned around and charged. His battlecry unleashing roars of 50,000 bloodthirsty human warriors and one monstrous fox.

 **"FIRE AND BLOOD!"**


	33. The Dark Side

**Thank you for the support. Hope you continue it.**

 **Music Recommendation: Bad Medicine Theme by Lars Erik Fjosne [HQ]/ Naruto Main Theme (Both are available on Youtube)**

 **Chapter 33**

 **The Dark Side**

* * *

(Land of Lightning)

Kimimaro Otsutsuki watched the ninja army charge towards him under the leadership of the Dragon King. For the first time, the Otsutsuki was unnerved and eager at the same time. He could feel that power, that unending hatred and pain all buried deep in one wounded heart. Waiting to explode...

He looked at his half burnt body which was a stark legacy of that hate and pain.

A grim smile graced his lips as he gave the command making the legions of dead charge forward with a thunderous war cry under the command of his Otsutsuki fighters.

He watched his adversary shout out commands making many ninjas with powerful chakra signatures take up command of the ninja army.

And then their eyes met.

Kimimaro's smile widened considerably when a wave of very familiar dark flames set on fire hundreds of his warriors creating a clear path towards him.

The warrior of **Dawn** marched towards him. This time he had no golden armor, no crown or no one by his side as his supporters were busy clashing against Kimimaro's pawns. But none could stop this man.

Those dark red eyes burned with madness, hatred and unforgivable fury.

It brought back fond memories of the time when Indra had fallen to the dark side. The fool would have been a useful pawn if the love for his brother had not overwhelmed him in the very end and rob the world from true peace. This boy was much more stronger, much more vengeful and was everything Kimimaro's queen had ever dreamed to gain from an Uchiha.

It was why he allowed his minions to let the King reach towards him while blocking all his other supporters from interfering. The Otsutsuki however winced when he saw the Kyuubi unleash a Bijudama massacring thousands of dead. The beast was going to be a problem but a minor one at best if Kimimaro succeeded in his mission given to him by Hinata.

They now stood before each other.

"We meet again" greeted Kimimaro with an amused smile,

"Yes" answered Naruto frostily, raising his ancestral weapon in defiance.

"You're different now. I can feel it...your power is so great and dark. The pain in your heart so unbearable...your soul so _broken_ " whispered Kimimaro, and was not surprised when the King winced.

"You made me this way. It is befitting I end you for that" declared Naruto bitterly,

Naruto narrowed his eyes when a sudden chill enveloped the area around them. The aura was so dark and full of misery that it threatened to suck away every last memory of happiness from his heart. It was then the whispers began...

A language he thought lost in the sands of time.

A tongue he learned only because of his ancestor.

Words full of darkness and evil.

 _Shraenar, valar lo daherys._

 _Yami no sekai tai mi si ta mizuro._

Kimimaro smirked savagely as he saw recognition dawn in the King's eyes as Naruto whispered the last words of the saying in the ancient tongue.

 _"Men shall never defeat the children of the stars"_

A lone tear fell from his eyes as he saw nine ethereal shadows rise from the ground. They surrounded him completely like wraiths of despair inflicting on him the dark emotions they must have felt when they were consumed in the end by the soul stealing dragon. They were once human, people with dreams and ambitions.

Not anymore.

It was more evident than ever as he gazed into a familiar pair of dark eyes that had always been full of love and affection for him but now held no emotion in them.

 **Naori Uchiha.**

The blank soul stared at him lifelessly and it felt like a dagger being brutally stabbed in his heart. He looked at the others and could not help but be further saddened as he remembered who they once were before being consumed in darkness.

 **Itama Senju.**

 **Ayato Uzumaki.**

 **Shin Aburame.**

 **Nahiro Uzumaki.**

The last four ghosts all shared very similar facial looks and dark eyes. Traits which they inherited from their father, _Indra_.

"Men are doomed to die, King Naruto" said Kimimaro calmly,

The lone monarch could not help but watch sadly as the ghosts raised their ethereal weapons. Each and everyone of them had at some point of time had their souls consumed by the demonic statue reducing them to haunting wraiths bound to the Otsutsuki. Indra had warned him that this could very likely happen but nothing could have prepared him to see his beloved aunt be reduced to this horror standing before him.

Flashes of her smile, her laugh, her teasing, her tender kisses all flashed before him and then be suddenly ripped away as he watched the vision where her soul was consumed just as life left her body.

He watched his brothers die before him again and again tearing his heart to shreds.

He saw his father and eldest brother be surrounded by an army of darkness before being vanquished forever.

A maddening scream left his lips as he saw Otsutuski warriors storm a very familiar temple butchering everyone of its inhabitants to the last child. One of them being a very familiar dark haired priestess lying in a pool of blood, her lifeless eyes staring back at him, her womb torn apart with two half formed human infants lying dead nearby.

"You see it now. Everything you love and cherish will soon fall to darkness. Whether through the swords of my people or those of the _one true enemy_...their fate is sealed" revealed Kimimaro,

"What are you saying?" asked Naruto in despair, those dark visions were too much for him to bear.

The ruin of his house, the death of his family, his daughters... _it was just too much._

Kimimaro gave him a sad glance which actually had a shred of sympathy mixed in.

"The _real_ Otsutsuki are coming. The ones who consume worlds like this earth and destroy every life before moving on to their next conquest. No clan, no king, no shinobi, no samurai, no man can stop them. They are a force beyond the power of men, empowered with the energy of the thousands of world they consumed across the galaxy. Experienced in war than any other race after their countless conquests. They are **legion** , an enemy you cannot fathom to defeat even in your most hopeful dreams" explained Kimimaro honestly,

"Is that why you started this war? Why did you wait for so long then?" demanded Naruto, but Kimimaro had either not heard his questions or simply decided to ignore them as he continued.

"When they come...mankind shall perish. They are masters of chakra and the shinobi will be the first to fall to their power. The power of my people is a fraction of what those warriors are capable of. They shall first turn the shinobi, then the Samurai and use them to conquer mankind. After that, they shall harvest this world and its people from all forms of energy leaving behind nothing but a dead world"

Naruto trembled as he saw visions of a legion of white haired warriors arriving on earth. He watched them conquer nation after nation, turning the shinobi and samurai against their own people, he watched them burn cities and villages, slaughter everyone that stood in their way until the world was consumed by darkness leaving behind a wasteland.

The world of men destroyed.

Everything and everyone he loved massacred to the last person.

In that dream, he saw the helplessness of his race, watched them all fall one after another until there was nothing left anymore.

He fell to his knees consumed in despair and grief as tears spilled from his blood red eyes.

He looked up when a pale hand was outstretched towards him by Kimimaro himself.

"You can still save the ones you love" said Kimimaro calmly,

"How do I know you're not lying about the return of the true Otsutsuki? How do I know that anyone can even defeat them if they are truly what you are showing me?" asked Naruto hesitantly,

"I am Kaguya's son and my mother for all her faults and mistakes only wanted to protect humanity. Her ways were harsh but they were necessary for mankind to have any hope of standing against the Otsutsuki. Mankind was never supposed to have chakra or risk being corrupted by the Otsutsuki who will use that power against them ruthlessly. Only a selected few descendants of Kaguya can stand by her side and defeat the one true enemy. If mankind is to survive then they must follow us in the final war and for that we need you, King Naruto" explained Kimimaro seriously,

"Why me?" questioned Naruto,

"I'll admit that I once thought you weak, a part of me still believes so. But there is something about you that makes my queen believe that you are the _chosen one_. The finest of men, one that shall do anything necessary to save his people, his family, his children" said Kimimaro confidently,

"I am just one man" countered Naruto, making Kimimaro smirk.

''True. But you have the power to change the destiny of your race. Join us...and save the ones dear to your heart before it's too late. F _or Tajima, For Madara, For Tsunade, For your friends and clan, for your daughters..._ **and for your son** "

Naruto glanced across the battlefield to see his race fighting desperately. Hundreds were dying with each passing minute and it would only be ten times worse when the Otsutsuki came to earth. He watched his friends fighting fiercely against Kimimaro's Otsutsuki's subordinates, he saw Tsunade and Mito fighting bravely against legions of dead. His eyes widened as he felt the faint new life within his wife. She glowed so brightly like a roaring sun in this eternal darkness making his heart swell with pride and fear. He didn't know how but he also felt the faint lifeforms of his daughters burning brightly within Shizuka waiting to experience the world. One which they shall never see if the true Otsutsuki came to earth...

He looked into Kimimaro's eyes and searched the man's emotions for any sign of deception but found none. The older man was speaking the truth...

If he managed to defeat Kimimaro and his group would he still be powerful enough to stop the Otsutsuki when they came to earth? Would he be able to save the ones he loved?

Doubt and fear plagued his heart like a storm of dark clouds making the dark visions play out in his mind again and again.

"You are the _chosen one_ , Naruto Uchiha. The strongest of your race, you grew up with almost nothing yet but still went on to become the greatest of his race, the strongest of his people, gained the loyalty and trust of people. You brought peace to the world of men. You are the chosen one, the one who shall bring balance to this world and save it from its imminent destruction. I see it now... **that is your destiny** " whispered Kimimaro, his hand still outstretched towards the king.

 _The final choice._

Time seemed to have stopped for Naruto as he glanced around. Even Indra had not denied the possibility that the original Otsutsuki clan would one day come to earth for the power it held. His ancestor wanted Kimimaro and Hinata dead, but what if killing them was just not the perfect solution? They atleast had an idea about the coming enemy and were doing everything necessary to stop them.

If shinobi were doomed to fall to the Otsutsuki, then was it correct to let them become the destroyers of the world of men?

He knew what joining Kimimaro meant. He would have to eliminate shinobi completely from this world so as to deny the Otsutsuki any pawns. He would have to revive Kaguya and the Juubi subjecting human race to the ancient woman's leadership again for she was the only one strong enough to stop her estranged clan from destroying this world. He would have to go against everything he once stood for...but it could save his people, his family, his children.

He looked at the ghosts around him, especially at Naori. He could not bear to lose any more of his family, would not survive any of his children meeting a similar fate or worse.

For them to survive, he had to surrender to this darkness and let himself be consumed.

It would break his heart...but atleast this way the ones he loved would survive.

 _In this world, you either die as a hero or live long enough to become a villain._

Kimimaro watched the King stand back up on his feet. The boy's eyes were still closed and he looked to be deep in thought but Kimimaro didn't interrupt him. He still waited as Naruto opened his eyes and looked at him and the offered hand.

"I never wanted to be King, you know? Too much work and pressure" said Naruto nostalgically,

Kimimaro didn't know how to respond to that. Being the leader of his people was an honor and responsibility he was glad to accept. But Naruto was different and it was why he would always be weak.

"But there are a lot of morons in this world who believe someone like me can do something. That I can leave this world in a better state than the one I was born in. Men are doomed to die and yet we still struggle till our last breaths. Maybe we cannot defeat the Otsutsuki and our world shall be destroyed eventually. But _I refuse_ to turn on my people, _I refuse_ to wipe out half of mankind in the hopes that the other half shall survive the upcoming enemy" said Naruto fiercely, as he raised his sword.

 _"What?"_ asked Kimimaro furiously, was this boy an utter fool?

"I'm _not_ the chosen one, Kimimaro. I am just a _stepping stone_ for the future of my race. Let the Otsutsuki come! Men shall live and die as one. As long as the line of Naruto Uchiha survives, there shall _always_ be a King that shall rise to defend the world of men!" declared Naruto,

" **YOU FOOL!** You shall doom this world!" yelled Kimimaro furiously, as his unleashed two long white spears from his arms. The nine ghosts stepped closer and surrounded the King from all sides, yet he smiled.

"Just as the ones before me believed in me...I shall believe in those who shall come after me. _That is my final choice_ " declared Naruto, as a bright light glowed from _Dawn._

 **"Then you shall all die!"**

Kimimaro's roar was the final command required for the nine ghosts to leap at the King who grinned one last time.

Nine ethereal swords came down at him making him defiantly raise his own weapon unleashing a tornado of dark and light sparks as the dark and light chakra from **Dawn** and its counterparts clashed heavily. Kimimaro was momentarily surprised by the defiance and could not help but be impressed when Naruto twisted the weapons of his ghost enemies as if they were mere children. The intel about the boy's swordsmanship might not be an exaggeration.

Deciding to intervene, the Otsutsuki king launched both his spears followed by unleashing a volley of bone shards at the engaged dragon king. To his utter surprise, the entire army of projectiles went right through the Dragon king as if he was never there and instead hit Kimimaro's ghost allies.

Naruto swiftly turned and plunged his sword clean through the heart of one of Indra's sons. The soul screamed in agony but was quickly consumed in **Dawn** being finally released from its captivity to rejoin its father. The remaining ghosts jumped back on seeing one of their own be destroyed.

His sensory powers went off in alarm warning in him time making him jump away just as another volley of bone shards destroyed the position he was standing in previously. He looked back and narrowed his eyes when he saw Kimimaro floating in the sky, the enemy leader's entire body now covered in dark yellow chakra mixed with black marks. The sheer amount of chakra being generated and transformed was insane which further unnerved Naruto. Most importantly, his attention was focused on his opponent's former pale white eyes that were not turning slightly blue with a flower in the center.

 **"Dark Wheel Reincarnation Explosion!"**

A gigantic sword of dark chakra almost as great as a Biju was unleashed by Kimimaro which headed straight for Naruto. The entire battlefield was momentarily stunned by the sheer amount of power being fired and that was when the explosion happened sending massive tremors across the battlefield.

Ash and dust rained down upon the lands like a torrent of heavy rain. When it finally settled, there was a massive crater that was several hundred feet wide and lot more in depth. But in that was also a strange figure.

Kimimaro clenched his fists when he heard a familiar roar.

He dodged just in time as a volley of dark flames was unleashed by the dark beast that soared through the dark skies like a raging missile. Breathing a sigh of relief, he could now finally see the monster that was standing before him now.

Almost more wide and tall than the Kyuubi itself, the beast towered like a firm mountain across the battlefield dwarfing both the living and dead.

It had the body of a fully armored man that was covered in dark flames. One of its hands held a brightly glowing sword of light and the other a shield made of dark flames. On its back were two large dark wings but the most frightening aspect of the monster was the face of a...

 _A dragon._

Its primal roar deafened the battlefield once and for all, momentarily stopping both armies in their brutal battle. The monstrosity flexed its long sword unleashing a bright beam that instantly slaughtered thousands of dead warriors reducing them to ashes.

The fully scaled dragon head glared at Kimimaro with its dark red eyes and from within the creature, the Otsutsuki king saw Naruto glaring at him murderously.

Instead of being terrified, Kimimaro smiled as he clasped his hands together.

Naruto narrowed his eyes when within seconds an army of bones were unleashed from the enemy's body and soon enough it transformed into an exact same replica as Naruto's own Susanno. The only difference being the fact Kimimaro's was made up of bones and glowing with pure yellow chakra and had the face of a man and not a dragon. While Naruto's beast was covered in the flames of Amaterasu, both monster forms had wings on their backs alongwith large swords and shields.

The Dragon Susanno raised its sword which emancipated a beam of pure energy that tore through the skies and dispersed all the dark clouds and even made the rains stop their torrent.

A part of Naruto was astonished by the sheer amount of power flowing through his veins at the moment. Even in his wildest dreams he had never imagined something like this, his father would be so proud.

 _Father!_

He clenched his fists tightly as he remembered the Otsutsuki were probably ravaging across his nation and butchering his people. His father was the last capable and official commander left who would have to face those monsters. The Otsutsuki had already took a lot from him...not anymore!

When the dragon charged...so did its enemy.

Both monsters flew across the battlefield to meet each other in a fiery clash as their monstrous swords greeted each other. A treacherous shockwave tore through the land alongside a massive earthquake that created further chaos and damage through the battlefield.

Kimimaro raised his own giant's shield that sparked with yellow energy.

 **"Enlightenment!"**

He grinned when a dangerous and large ball of pure yellow lightning burst from his shield but was disappointed when Naruto's Susanno raised its own shield and absorbed the blast. However, it was that moment when the trick was revealed.

Naruto gritted his teeth in frustration as he felt his own control over his Susanoo be hampered as he tried to battle away the surge of foreign energy in his own form. Kimimaro used that momentary advantage fully to strike forward with the intent to deliver the killing blow.

What the Otsutsuki was not prepared for was the thunderous roar of a pissed of fox before it sent the white haired warrior and his monstrous form flying away by colliding straight into them. The fox glared menacingly even as the Otsutsuki crashed gracelessly before his eyes settled upon the surprised gaze of his friend.

Guilt and regret were ever present in Kurama's eyes...while Naruto's gaze was one lost in remembrance of a cherished past. One that was gone but still desired by his heart.

 **"I won't leave you...not this time"** whispered the fox,

His heart had stopped beating for several long moments as he glanced longingly at his only friend. The Kyuubi was not a being of many words...neither was the King. Their miraculous friendship had developed because they both could understand the other even without words and Kurama hoped his friend understood what he really wanted to say in that short promise.

A wry smile graced Naruto's lips even as his eyes twinged with his ever present spark which Kurama dearly cherished.

"I am _doomed_ to die, fox" teased the King, repeating Kimimaro's prophesied words from before.

 **"Then I shall die with you"** promised Kurama without hesitation,

A tired sigh left the King's lips but the faint smirk on his lips did wonders to elevate Kurama's hopes as the young monarch extended his Susanno hand towards the beast.

As Kurama used his tails to reciprocate the gesture, Naruto's words would forever be engraved in his heart.

"No matter what happens or how much things change...don't _ever_ lose faith. **Not in yourself, not in your friends, not in your family, and not in this world** " insisted Naruto calmly, as he glanced at the thousands of former bitter ninjas now fighting together as comrades for the survival of mankind.

 **"What if there is no hope?"** asked Kurama hesitantly, as he could not help but remember how good the world once was under the Sage and then what it became afterwards.

Yet, Naruto still smiled.

 _"There is always hope"_

Kurama's eyes widened even as a lone tear fell from his eye. For those simple words had shown him a truth that had eluded his grasp ever since his creation.

He had lost faith in everyone.

 _His friends: Indra and Ashura._

 _His family: Biju._

 _His world: The race of men._

Duty kept him moving forward but his heart was frozen under a never ending ocean of ice until a bright flame ignited it again. It burned so brightly that it restored emotions the fox thought were long lost, made his interests and wishes be reborn again and most of all made him feel alive again.

 _Made life worth living!_

The era of darkness and hopelessness was burned away in those bright flames. It was as if someone decided to end a miserable chapter of life to give birth to a brighter one.

In that moment, Naruto was the epitome of that hope for Kurama and one which made the Biju make the commitment that he had never imagined himself ever making to anyone.

Naruto smiled and realigned his Susanoo as Kurama stepped beside him just in time as Kimimaro was starting to get ready.

 **"For the world of men"**

Kimimaro hurriedly raised his ethereal shield as he sensed the massive buildup of energy from the united fighters in front of him.

The Kyuubi formed a gigantic tailed beast bomb instantly before launching it mercilessly at the lone Otsutsuki warrior. Naruto took to the skies with the help of his wings even as Kurama's attack nearly eclipsed Kimimaro's entire warrior completely.

When the blast died down, he was surprised to see thousands of bones were fully vaporized but already they were being replaced at an alarming pace and for all intents and purposes...

Kimimaro looked pissed!

 **"Forest of DEATH!"** roared the Otsutsuki madly, as he clasped his hands together.

Kurama howled in sheer pain as white shaped spears more taller and broader than his own size burst out of the ground beneath him. The beast pummeled a few, dodged another dozen more but Kimimaro had apparently turned almost half the battlefield in his death trap and thereby managed to impale the Kyuubi grievously in multiple locations.

The ancient man's eyes widened when a shadow swooped in from the skies and grabbed his form by the throat. With a furious roar, Naruto threw the bone warrior several hundred feet high in the air as his shield finished his next move.

 **"Kamui Shuriken!"**

The Dragon Susanoo threw its shield at its sailing target at monstrous speed and much to everyone's surprise in midflight the holy weapon divided into a dozen more dangerous shuriken shaped projectiles marred in black flames. Very quickly the attack hit home and mercilessly tore away large chunks of Kimimaro's large bone warrior before making those torn parts disappear in quick portals forever.

As the shurikens vanished, the broken form of Kimimaro's bone warrior started falling towards the ground.

 **"Naruto, watch out-"**

Kurama's warning was a little too late as the falling bone debris were suddenly transformed into a dangerous _whip_ by the furious Otsutsuki. With its shield used up for the moment, the Susanoo and its wielder were not fully prepared for the moment when the bone whip wrapped around its neck.

A choked scream escaped Naruto's lips as he not only felt his chakra but also his life-force be sucked away by the whip as it choked the air out of him. It was then he saw the ancient dark seals engraved in those bones and that was not even taking into account the fact that the Otsutsuki warrior had large sums of Ten Tails chakra flowing through his body. It explained why the Otsutsuki warriors were so powerful and why no ordinary weapons could match their bone shaped spears in battle. There was no power greater than that of the Ten Tails, a fact which Naruto realized a little too late.

Kimimaro flew downwards wrapping his entire body in glowing yellow chakra while his hand yanked the whip mercilessly making Naruto's Susanoo flip over before crashing on the ground with a thunderous crack.

 **"Gentle Strikes!"**

Small mountain sized chakra hands were unleashed by the Otsutsuki King that started mercilessly pounding on the fallen Susanoo's chest.

Naruto screamed and coughed blood as each strike felt as if he was being crushed under heavy mountains. With every hit, more and more of his chakra nodes suffered massive damage depleting his supply to maintain the Susanoo. Once it was destroyed...

He roared in pure defiance and conjured all his rage and hatred he had for this man.

 **"Amaterasu"**

His eyes bled and pain was all he felt but he didn't care as his dragon headed Susanoo screamed in fury as it unleashed a torrent of dark flames like a raging tsunami. Kimimaro started flying away rapidly but the dark flames didn't relent in their pursuit. So blinded was he in evading this attack that he barely registered another greater danger approaching towards him.

It was out of sheer luck or fast reflexes that Kimimaro managed to avoid getting hit directly by the Bijudama launched by the wounded fox. However, it still went off quite close to his position delivering a tidal shockwave that made Kimimaro come crashing to the ground. He coughed blood and felt every bone in his body shatter due to the terrible impact. Thankfully, he could create and repair as many of those as he wanted so long as he had chakra.

He glared at the wounded fox and flicked his wrist making the Biju scream in even more agony as this time more monstrous spears impaled his neck and one of his eyes. The important fact was the presence of binding seals on those spears that had immobilized the dangerous beast apart from wounding it very badly.

With one of the two threats neutralized for now, Kimimaro diverted his attention.

 _To find no sign of the Susanoo warrior or its master._

Kimimaro stretched every last one of his senses in order to discover where the bastard king had went but came empty handed every damn time.

Until...

The ground beneath his feet vanished as a dark portal opened up and sucked him in.

Dark red eyes greeted him and from the darkness of space he saw the massive dragonhead Susanoo about to consume him. The beast's mouth waiting to melt him in a volcano of dark flames.

Knowing there was no escape now, Kimimaro didn't fight against the force pulling him downwards towards the approaching dragon. The beast opened its mouth full of dark flames and Kimimaro coated himself in his own chakra. Yet the cursed flames consumed his own energy like a hungry dragon tearing apart its prey, but the move gave Kimimaro what he needed.

He saw his accursed enemy right in front of him.

Naruto hastily brought up **Dawn** and blocked Kimimaro's white shaped spear. He could not help but be impressed by his enemy's power and willpower that allowed him to push through the dragon's mouth to reach the Susanoo's heart where Naruto was stationed. But this small victory came at a terrible price...

Kimimaro's body was being consumed in the endless and merciless flames of Amaterasu. The only thing stopping him from melting instantly was his own ancient power and the chakra of Juubi in his veins. Yet his flawless skin was slowly getting destroyed and it won't be long before Kimimaro was destroyed as well.

 _His arrogance and over-confidence in his invincibility being the cause of his defeat._

Yet the only thing admirable about the Otsutsuki King was his tenacity and fanatic belief which still gave him the strength to fight on despite knowing that his end was near.

He did not curse Naruto for the trickery nor cry out in rage.

Kimimaro only stared at him with cold eyes that promised only one thing.

 **Death.**

Kimimaro charged and held back his scream as Naruto's Mangekyo swirled again shrouding his entire body in a flameball of Amaterasu heat.

Blood erupted from Naruto's eyes and he fought back the pain viciously as his vision started to turn slightly hazy. Yet his senses were working perfectly which gave him the necessary warning.

He slashed **Dawn** forward and destroyed the few bone shards launched by Kimimaro followed by the final bone sphere launched by the dying man.

His eyes widened when using the last of his strength, the burning Kimimaro appeared right before him.

 _CRACK!_

Kimimaro weakly grinned as the dark flames burning his body died away instantly just as his chakra powered fist collided right over Naruto's heart.

Shock and pain were the only two emotions in the King's eyes as he felt nearly every muscle around his heart be targeted not to mention his prized blood pumping vessel giving out a horrible cracking sound.

 _ **"All...men...must...die...but...I...curse...you...to...die...of...a...broken...heart!"**_ whispered Kimimaro,

He was surprised when despite the direct lethal strike to heart, Naruto roared in fury before plunging his ancestral sword straight into Kimimaro's own heart.

The Otsutsuki didn't scream or grunt but only gave out a weary sigh that finally marked the end of his long life. Even as the holy power from **Dawn** destroyed him, there was no remorse or regret in those eyes.

Until the very end, the flame of conviction burned in Kimimaro's gaze before it was extinguished from the world and plunged into the eternal darkness of the dark portal.

Naruto spat blood and felt his control over the Susanoo start to be disrupted. Clenching his chest that was burning in immense pain he brought **Dawn** closer to himself and relished the pure energy that seeped into his body, one that momentarily halted the pain and allowed him to summon his chakra.

Even as the Susanoo vanished and the last trace of the Otsutsuki King were consumed in the endless dark portal, Naruto used his Mangekyo to teleport away.

He opened his eyes again when he felt himself land upon solid ground.

A bizarre sight awaited him.

Thousands of souls could be seen departing from earth as the dead corpses they were anchored to started falling apart as the dark power that bound them no longer existed with Kimimaro's death.

He saw Hashirama and Tsunade bid a tearful farewell to Itama as he vanished away.

Thousands of more ninjas were doing the same for their lost friends and family.

Kurama was gingerly rising out of the now disappearing field of spears that had previously wounded and trapped him. With Kimimaro's death their power had also vanished giving the beast his freedom. But he looked heavily wounded and was barely able to limp until Hashirama and Tsunade alongside several more healers came rushing towards him.

The remaining Otsutsuki warriors were all hanging from tall branches of a monstrous tree as a stark proof of Hashirama's rage over the killing of his beloved brother. To make it worse, all those ancient warriors appeared to be beaten to a bloody pulp by Tsunade before she commanded Katsuyu to drench their dead bodies in acid making them barely unrecognizable _._

 _Ours is the Fury._

Whoever developed the words of the Senju clan knew them better than anyone else.

He collapsed to his knees as fatigue washed over him. It was less physical than emotional as he remembered the things he discovered about the world and more importantly... _about himself._

Kimimaro didn't want him on the Otsutsuki side just for his power. He had wanted Naruto to join him for he knew the Dragon King would cross every boundary to protect the ones he loved. He was not the strongest fighter in the history of mankind but he was one of the most smartest and creative ones.

There was a great darkness lurking deep inside of him...waiting to be unleashed.

He might have resisted it this time but to think that he even thought about the idea of turning against his own race if only to protect his own family...unnerved him.

Being a King was not something he had wanted...but now that he was one a lot of people depended on him.

And he almost failed them today.

He looked up when he felt the presence.

Time stopped for him as he watched her bathed in her familiar light and warmth as she knelt before him. His pain and fears were easy enough for her to see through his troubled gaze.

"Naori..." he whispered sadly, as he tried to touch her cheek only for his hand to go through her earning a look of longing from him but she gave him a small smile as she sent tingling sensations across his cheek by making her ethereal hand pass through it.

"You did well today" she said in proud but faint voice, and it was then he saw that she was fading away just like the other souls that were freed from the Otsutsuki's control.

 **"No!"**

He lunged for her shoulders in order to grab her but only went through her and crashed on the ground. Naori looked at him with a sad but firm gaze.

"You have to be strong...no matter how much it hurts" she insisted, earning a heartbreaking look from him.

"I...cannot...watch...the...people...I...love...die...before...me. I... _can't_...let...them...go...away" he confessed sadly, and she felt his desire to go to any lengths to stop that from happening.

Naori knelt before him again.

"It is never easy for anyone, not even you. But it is not the end...remember our clan's last words for our departed?" she asked gently,

Naruto blinked.

 _"From the ashes we shall rise again"_ he whispered,

Realization dawned on him just as she looked at the skies where another portal had emerged. There were many people with Uchiha features looking down at them. Naruto didn't know any of them but Naori had tears of joy falling from her eyes as she stared at them.

She looked back at him one last time and despite his own sadness, he could not help but give her a reassuring smile when he saw the happiness in her eyes.

 **"I go to my father's...where I shall find peace again"**

Her words whispered in the air like a final breath of fragrance as her soul vanished away towards the portal.

Naruto stared at the vanishing form of her light until she disappeared completely.

 _"Farewell...mother''_


	34. Twilight

**Normally, I have stopped long notes in my stories but this one can't be avoided.**

 **First, this story is reaching its end so I'd just like to thank all those reviewers who have regularly given it support through reviews, Pm and whatnot. To those that haven't, you still have a few chapters left. (No Pressure)**

 **Second, this is specifically directed towards those people who complain too much about this story. I'll be the first to admit it is not 100% original, nothing on fanfiction ever is. For originality I'm already writing my own novel and this is just a way for me to write my wishful fantasies. That's right, fanfiction is nothing more than wishful fantasies or crazy ideas that form in the minds of writers. People are free to enjoy them or not, but please don't try to trash someone's fantasy by comparing it with other works or bashing writers against writers (Did I ever say that I am in some contest for best fics or best authors of this site?). That kind of negativity is the reason behind more than 50% of stories being left unfinished on this wonderful site. If you don't like something you read, you can just leave rather than hound the writer with your negativity. No need to be an asshole, okay?**

 **Phew, glad to get that bit off my chest. Now on with the chapter.**

 **Chapter 34**

 **Twilight**

* * *

(Land of Lightning: Two Days Later)

Tsunade relished the warm sunlight falling on her skin. The familiar heat and light being a most welcome sight in comparison to the terrible weather they had to endure for the past several weeks. Not to forget all the tragedies they had to suffer through.

She had not been ready to meet her dead brother's ghost and had been heartbroken to watch him go again. It still broke her heart but the peaceful smile on Itama's face was enough to console her and Hashirama that their brother was going to a better place and one day they would meet him again.

Even with heavy losses, they had achieved their first victory in the war against the Otsutsuki.

More than 10,500 humans died for that yet their sacrifice didn't go in vain.

And yet they had hundreds more wounded, all of whom were carefully being treated by Hashirama and occasionally by Tsunade herself. She would have liked to assist the medics more had she not got entangled in a pleasant but simple task.

She glanced at the man sitting beside her, one who had been awfully silent ever since their victory. No matter how much she or anyone else tried, he never revealed what was bothering him keeping his worries to himself. At first she was disappointed...even hurt by his lack of trust in her but then she thought about the position he was in.

Something had happened to the King in the last battle...something that hit his heart deeply.

It had not stopped him from attending to his duties or motivating the men, hell he even tried to be more friendly towards the wounded Kyuubi despite their recent fight. When questioned, his words were so simple but conveyed the sole reason behind his actions in regards to the fox.

 _"Life's too short for regrets. And I already have a lot of them, no need to add a good friend to that"_

Tsunade had not thought him capable of such forgiveness and yet it showed her another good side of her husband. Like most normal humans, he too was prone to experience conflicting emotions depending upon the people and situations he faced. He had his own strengths and weaknesses like the rest of them, he made mistakes and accomplished great achievements as well...

But he truly did love his friends and family. He might fight with them, disagree with them, and even worse but when the time came...they all could stay strong knowing that Naruto would be there for all of them.

"What's on your mind?" she asked curiously,

She watched him still silently staring at a rough picture of the Land of Fire which he had carved himself on the ground. Even if it was a bit crude at the edges, Tsunade could not help but be surprised by his attention to detail. He had almost carved every province in its exact location, every river and even the capital were at their proper place. It was then she remembered that before the peace, Naruto and Madara were the Uchiha's finest leaders who had led to their clan's victory against the Senjus on numerous occasions.

"I may have conquered the world of men...but I have yet to conquer the Otsutsuki" he answered honestly,

"You killed their King in _single combat_! I'm sure you will figure out a way to defeat their queen bringing an end to this war" said Tsunade confidently,

"Flattery will not win you easy points, Tsuna" he said with an amused smile,

While he went back to staring at his drawing, a faint blush appeared on the blonde queen's cheeks. She had not missed a positive change in him after the battle against Kimimaro. Previously, Naruto had been kind to her and been her friend. But now he looked at her differently. There was an unending warmth in his eyes alongwith affection, he went out of his way to make sure they had lunch or dinner together, he was there to console her when she had cried on remembering her parting with Itama despite his own grief over his parting with Naori, and had also thanked her for saving his life.

He had also started to occasionally call her _"Tsuna"_ more often and she could not help but find the name endearing for he said it with so much love and affection that warmed her heart.

Either of them were yet to say those magic words that life partners often said to each other but she felt completely at ease in his presence. Now she knew she could depend on him which was much more important than just words, no matter how much she wished to hear them from him.

"How many fighters do we have left?" he asked seriously,

"Approximately 35,000. I can add a few hundred more but they are currently wounded and not fit for battle for another two weeks at the very least" informed Tsunade, making him grimace.

"I _cannot_ afford that long a delay. Our nation is burning right now...our people are dying every moment that we spend here" he said bitterly, earning a comforting hand from her on his shoulder.

"I understand. But we cannot just rush 35,000 troops haphazardly from the Land of Lightning to the Land of Fire. Our troops are still recovering from the last battle and such kind of rush will only weaken them further. You'll lose more soldiers through fatigue, disease and desertion" she warned him,

"How many horses do the Samurai have?" asked Naruto irritatedly,

Even shinobi were human and were bound by mortality. For all their strength, both Samurai and ninjas would take nearly three weeks to reach the Land of Fire on foot if they didn't encounter any further obstacles. The civilian fighters would take even more time. But the Samurai had bred fine war horses that could ride nonstop for two days and require very less food and water. Maybe...

"They don't have enough of those. Maybe around 12,000 horses or even less. Their battles against Hashirama and then against Kimimaro saw them suffering heavy losses of their prized beasts" said Tsunade honestly, which made him clench his fists.

"Then I'll use my Kamui to teleport my army to our nation. I cannot let the Land of Fire burn or else all of this was for _nothing!_ " said Naruto frustratedly, earning a sharp glare from her.

"That is **reckless!** No matter how strong you are now, you cannot teleport _35,000_ people over such a long distance. It will kill you and may even destroy our army. Even if you achieve marginal success, will you able to live with yourself if thousands of our soldiers were lost in that teleportation in those portals?" asked Tsunade fiercely,

Naruto sighed and backed down knowing she was right. His solution of teleporting their army had dangerous risks and could cost many innocent lives if he made even a minor mistake. But the truth was that he was running out of options!

Warhorses, Soldiers and not even Kamui were enough to make him reach his nation to save his people.

He was stuck here, far from home and could only hope his father could hold off the enemy long enough for them to return. But it was wishful thinking at best, Tajima Uchiha barely had 10,000 ninjas with him and those too were the very young, very old or average fighters of their clans. Even if he mustered civilians, he would barely have the time to muster around 30,000 soldiers against an enemy that outnumbered him five times.

The only hope for the Land of Fire's survival now lay on Madara and his army returning from the Land of Wind.

Madara was a capable general and had thousands of elite ninjas with him. If he had achieved victory against the armies of Land of Wind and Earth, then it would only further bolster his ranks which he could use to aid in the defense of their motherland.

Still, as their King it was Naruto's responsibility to come to their aid and it was why an idea came to him.

Tsunade glanced at him warily when he got an eager gleam in his eye.

''I think I have just the right solution!"

* * *

Hashirama Senju had been tending to one of the wounded Samurai in the medical tents when he heard the commotion. Before the visitor even entered, Hashirama realized who they were.

How could he not when that person had a chakra signature almost as strong as Madara's. One that was more darker and resilient.

Beside him, Mito also looked up when both Naruto and Tsunade entered the tent earning bows from the medics and nursing staff. The King didn't acknowledge any of those people and marched towards Hashirama, fortunately the young monarch had a smart wife who was very quick in greeting those disappointed people whom their king had not even acknowledged. Whatever urgent matter was currently troubling the King, it was still not right for him to ignore his people's greeting like that. It made Hashirama very happy to see Tsunade silently supporting her husband and making up for his weaknesses.

Mito and Hashirama had busied themselves in treating the wounded and dying so as to not think about all the loved ones they had lost to this war. Mito had lost more than Hashirama but none of them felt the other's pain was greater or lesser than theirs. It had allowed them to bond with each other again after so many years and Hashirama was indebted to the redhead for she greatly helped him cope with the loss of his beloved brother. Only hearing from Itama himself that he had no regrets over his sacrifice had pacified Hashirama...and made him proud as well. Itama's death was painful for him to bear, but knowing that his brother died for their people made it bearable atleast.

The King stepped before them and greeted both of them respectfully. Hashirama didn't miss the awkwardness existing between Naruto and Mito with both of them trying their hardest to not look at each other for too long.

"My King..." prompted Hashirama, when he noticed Naruto was yet to say something even when his eyes burned with impatience to say what he wanted to say.

While Naruto didn't say anything, Hashirama caught the young Uchiha glancing at Tsunade who was just finishing talking with the medics and nurses, she even went on to chat briefly with the few wounded who were conscious. Naruto looked irritated but what made Hashirama smile was the boy's patience to wait for his wife to join them before he decided to explain the reason for his visit.

That small gesture alone showed the growing importance of Tsunade in Naruto's life. Recently, the king had started being more and more affectionate towards his wife. Knowing that Naruto was an acute sensor just like him, Hashirama was now certain that the King now knew that Tsunade was carrying his child.

 _His nephew!_

When he first learned of the life within his sister, he had been over the moon with joy! It was a much needed good news when he was dealing with the loss of his brother. He had been so ecstatic to reveal this news to Tsunade who was yet to realize this blessing herself but Mito had bonked him on the head and told him **not** to interfere. The Uzumaki woman had asked him to be patient and let Tsunade discover the good news herself or let her husband reveal it to her. Even if that didn't work, Tsunade was a seasoned medic and would very soon discover it herself. Naruto's changed attitude towards Tsunade was all the proof Hashirama needed to see that the King was also aware of his upcoming child but judging from Tsunade's calm appearance, the young Uchiha was yet to tell her that.

Hashirama didn't know why Naruto hadn't already told his wife. Most Senjus would be jumping with joy, but then again Naruto was an Uchiha and people from that clan were said to be much more composed in their reactions. More than that, Naruto was the first Uchiha King currently engaged in a world war. That did kind of repurpose his priorities.

Maybe it was best if he followed Mito's advice and let the young couple before him figure out how to deal with this development in their lives.

"How much do you two know about my teleportation abilities?" asked Naruto seriously,

"Not much except for what we saw you perform on the battlefield" commented Mito sincerely,

"It was impressive" said Hashirama with an honest smile, which made the Uchiha before him smirk with pride.

"No need to boost his already over-inflated ego!" chided Tsunade playfully, making Naruto pout.

"A king is allowed certain... _liberties_ " replied Naruto smugly, earning a raised eyebrow from his beautiful wife.

"Do tell what... _liberties_...would...you...prefer... _my...king?_ " asked Tsunade very slowly, her voice heavier and gaze more intense than ever.

Naruto blushed and looked away. He was not alone as even Hashirama was blushing and trying not to look at his sister.

Mito and Tsunade could not help but look at each other and sigh _''Men"_

Acting on his feet, Naruto motioned the others to follow after him which they did without question. After a few minutes of walking, they all found themselves entering the King's tent where the Kingsguard was already present and they had apparently set up a mini war room with a large ninja map and detailed figures of enemy locations and troop movements.

"Did you arrive at a conclusion?" asked Naruto directly, earning nods from his four friends.

"We did. If our intel was accurate then the Otsutsuki landed on the coastal areas of our nation. Considering how large a force they had from the start they must have split it off into several large groups to conquer villages, settlements, towns and small cities alike across the Land of Fire" explained Itachi seriously,

"If I were the enemy then I would divide my forces and make them rampage across the Land of Fire in order to not just conquer more areas and bolster my ranks but more importantly divide Lord Tajima's forces. Make the ninjas spread out too thin trying to save different parts of the nation but ultimately fail" pointed Shisui worriedly,

Hashirama was alarmed when he saw Shisui and Itachi point to large march of enemy forces all across the Land of Fire.

Takeshi depicted the figure of Tajima Uchiha marching from the Capital with 10,000 ninjas and rallying up thousands of more common civilians to fight the Otsutsuki. But ultimately, Tajima would be overwhelmed with the cries of help from all sides.

"Tajima-sama would never allow his army to be split into smaller factions and be destroyed one after another. But we have to consider the fact that the men following Tajima all have friends and family in different parts of our nation. These ninja clans are still getting used to the idea of living together as allies but with the enemy attacking their homes on all fronts, they would more likely demand Lord Tajima to let them go in order to save their families. Lord Tajima cannot refuse or order them to stand down or he will very likely face a mutiny. Maybe Naruto and Madara could have kept that army united but Lord Tajima does not command the same respect. It is more likely most of his forces likely split off into smaller groups and went across the Land of Fire to save their families" explained Kagami hesitantly,

Tsunade and Mito worriedly stared at Naruto whose face was set in stone. Even if his face betrayed no emotions, Naruto's clenched fist and troubled gaze was enough to show them the King was worried about his father's safety. For a large part of their lives, Tajima and Naruto had been at odds against each other. But they were father and son, for all their arguments and differences...they both did love each other in the end.

"What would Lord Tajima do then?" asked Hashirama nervously, he could only imagine what kind of pressure the Uchiha clan head must be under. With one of his last sons and sister rumored to be dead, his eldest son missing with his army...

He saw all Uchiha's in the room stare at each other knowingly before Naruto answered Hashirama's question.

 **"Castle Tsukiyomi"**

Hashirama and Tsunade stared at the lone Uchiha Castle located in the Land of Fire. Apart from being the Uchiha's ancestral seat, Castle Tsukiyomi was more like a fortress. After Uzu, it was the strongest fortification in the world built by Uchiha's through centuries of blood and sacrifices. It had a dark history but had also served as the home of the Uchiha's whenever they faced great troubles throughout history. Whenever that happened, the Uchiha clan took refuge in Castle Tsukiyomi and never once had any army managed to break through that refuge built on a tall mountain surrounded by dense forests and high hills.

"If my father cannot risk open war then he will rally as many fighters as he can, save as many civilians as he can from nearby lands and give them shelter in our Castle. It has enough room, food and provisions to host thousands of people. But more importantly, there are secret caves underneath the Castle that lead towards the Naka river. On the edge of those caves at the mouth of the river, there lies a small emergency fleet that was built to take my clansmen to a secret island we built throughout centuries. It is a located a few hundred kilometers away from the Land of Fire and has half the defenses that Uzu had. Castle Tsukiyomi can be defended long enough to save thousands as they escape to our island" explained Naruto sadly,

Hashirama, Tsunade and Mito could not help but look at the five Uchiha's in the room with a newfound respect. Both Uzumaki and Senju had always considered the Uchiha to be arrogant brutes their entire lives. To think, the dragon descendants had planned so far ahead for such contingencies went to show how dangerous it would have been to continuously wage war against the Sons of Indra.

Naruto himself had defended the very same Castle against the Fuma clan and had eliminated those warriors completely from the face of the earth. A fine and experienced commander like Tajima could very well hold that Castle for several days saving thousands of lives. It made them thankful for the fact that the Uchiha clan head was there to defend their nation when they were not.

"He will likely defend it to death with the last of my clansmen" whispered Naruto miserably,

Tsunade placed a comforting hand on her husband's shoulders and saw the remaining Uchiha's were also equally somber. Nearly every Uchiha warrior in Naruto's army died in battle after battle, first at Uzu, and then at the Land of Lightning.

Madara had also taken with him a considerable number of Uchiha and had likely fought in battles off his own. They had no idea how many Uchiha were still alive with the Hokage not to mention the status of the Hokage himself.

Unlike the Senjus who had several thousand clansmen, the Uchiha's were a smaller clan. Nobody could doubt their skill in battle but they were too few to begin with.

Tajima likely had the last few hundred Uchiha of this world left with him. Considering how stubborn that clan was, the clan head and his people would likely or had already laid down their lives in defending Castle Tsukiyomi.

 _The dragons shall roar in this world one last time before fading away forever._

Tsunade gripped Naruto's hand worriedly as she remembered those dreaded words from the man she had had seen in her dream. She had not understood the full meaning of his message back then but now she did.

The Uchiha clan was on the brink of extinction.

It was very likely the line of Indra would not survive this war.

Unlike the Uzumaki and Senju who were blessed with long lives, the Uchiha's had more mortal lifespans. Most of their people didn't have unnatural healing or large chakra reserves, they were mortal men in every sense.

"I never thought our clan would fall" whispered Itachi sadly,

" _It won't!_ As long as there remains one dragon in this world, the line of Indra will never end" countered Kagami passionately, earning a firm nod from Takeshi.

"From the ashes we shall rise again" whispered Shisui, as he placed a comforting hand on Itachi's shoulder.

Naruto somberly stared at the ninja map. If the enemy had acted according to the predictions suggested by his friends, they would likely have nearly 300,000 warriors in their ranks by now. It would be a mix of Otsutsuki, Hagoromo, Kaguya, their strange creatures, and the army of dead.

Not to mention that cursed statue.

Shisui had already revealed that the enemy had two tailed beasts in their captivity, if he added the centuries long disappearances of the remaining breatheren of Kurama...then it was very likely the Otsutsuki queen had all the tailed beasts except for the nine tailed fox.

He barely had 35,000 warriors.

 _It was a death sentence._

He glanced at his wife and his urge to make her stay back grew even more stronger. He had no idea about the fate of Shizuka and his daughters, Madara had posted loyal Uchihas to guard the Nadeshia temple but they were too few to stop an army of dead. If they were gone just like he saw in that vision shown by Kimimaro...

Naruto clenched his fist shut as he realized Tsunade was not only carrying the royal heir but also very likely his _only_ surviving child and the first child with Uchiha and Senju blood in its veins.

He had to talk to her but afterwards.

"We march home. Even if it is to our deaths!" decided Naruto grimly, earning nods from his friends and family members.

"How will you make our large army reach the Land of Fire quickly?" asked Mito hesitantly, her own wounded brother Nagato had been sent to that nation alongwith the few Kingsguard warriors that were still alive. In the best circumstances, those ninjas had linked up with Tajima and currently Nagato would be with the Uchiha clan head at Castle Tsukiyomi.

"Through the combination of my dojutsu, fuinjutsu and ninjutsu" revealed Naruto,

Everyone looked at him as if he was crazy which only made him smile.

* * *

Kurama stared in silent awe as the entire army camp was consumed in a flurry of activities. Almost every warrior was preparing himself. Weapons and armor were being gathered, only the barest amount of supplies were being taken, the wounded were being left behind with a small garrison to care for them.

The beast saw hundreds of ninjas standing around Hashirama. All of them had linked their hands together and the fox clearly saw and even felt the gigantic amount of chakra being supplied to the Senju leader.

Hashirama indeed required every last ounce of that additional chakra as he had clasped his hands together and created a massive forest of trees spanning hundreds of kilometers. The Senju leader had his eyes closed and was sweating profusely, but as a reward for his efforts, every few minutes hundreds of wooden chakra horses emerged from the forest of trees.

Mito Uzumaki alongwith her handful clansmen and few seal masters stood on the edge of the forest. Her group of Fuinjutsu specialists were constantly busy as they marked each and every wooden chakra horse with seals. Those very seals helped in forming a parallel and unbreakable connection between those animated horses.

Already 20,000 of such chakra horses were created by Hashirama with more on the way. Mito and her group had so far finished implanting _''Joining Seals"_ on half of those created horses. If things went as per their plan, those two should accomplish their task within a few hours at most.

Kurama himself was busy pouring large amounts of his chakra into _"Energy Scrolls'_ ' being provided by Mito and her clansmen.

Everything was going just as Naruto had planned.

It was one of those times when humanity had again surprised the Biju with their innovation.

Naruto had accepted that physically sucking and transporting thousands of ninjas with his Kamui was risky, but it had only made the King devise another innovative way to make their massive army reach the Land of Fire in one tenth the time than a normal march would take.

The King had suggested Hashirama to create an army of wooden chakra horses on whom their ninjas, Samurai, and even civilian fighters could mount upon. These beasts could not carry as much weight as living horses could, but they were more faster and stronger. More importantly, the King had suggested Mito to link all those thousands of chakra horses through Fuinjutsu creating _"A Single Chain"_.

It was possible for humans as individuals or even in small or large groups to get lost in the space dimension, but a single connected chain of chakra being led by Kurama who was himself a beacon of energy had more of a chance of staying together.

The King had already formed large pathways in his travel dimension which would be used by Kurama and the massive human army mounted on chakra horses made of wood to travel. Naruto had posted several of his clones across different intervals from the Land of Lightning to the Land of Fire itself creating a series of portals which his people could cross more easily and quickly rather than risk transporting everyone from one point to another in a single try.

To put it more crudely for the average shinobi to understand, they had to mount on these chakra horses who shall all be joined with Kurama's energy. Together, they would pass through multiple portals of Naruto's dimension like a person rushing through a series of connected doors covering thousands of kilometers of distance in half the time.

In the end, their army would split into three groups led by Naruto, Hashirama and Hanzo each. They would all assemble at one common point which the King had predicted to be the main target of the Otsutsuki in the Land of Fire.

To sustain those multiple portals for nearly an entire day, Naruto and his clones would need gigantic amount of chakra which was why Kurama was providing his energy to be used by Naruto and his clones for if even one of them faltered in their duty, then their army could become trapped for a very long time.

It was still risky and not everyone would survive this dangerous spacetime travel but it was all they could do to save the Land of Fire in time.

Even the soldiers were nervous but knowing they had very little choice or alternative, they had reluctantly rallied behind the command of their King.

What worried Kurama was the fact that Naruto was putting his own life in tremendous danger by taking up the responsibility of maintaining a lethal jutsu like Kamui for an _entire day_. Even if Kurama gave him chakra to compensate his lost energy, the boy's Mangekyo and body would be severely damaged. But Naruto had waived off those concerns raised by Kurama very easily...

It was almost as if Naruto knew...

And was the reason why Kurama could still feel the raging aura of Naruto and his wife clashing against each other.

* * *

" **You baka!** You'll get yourself _killed_ if you do this!" yelled Tsunade furiously, staring at her silent husband who was seated in his chair inside their personal tent.

"Even so I have to do this! For our people! _It is my duty_ " he answered much more calmly than her,

He still felt the occasional pain in his heart where Kimimaro had hit him. **Dawn's** chakra had healed most of the critical damage and Tsunade had stabilized his torn chest muscles but it still did not make him ready to undertake such a stressful activity and that was not taking into account the final battle against the Otsutsuki queen.

And he had a feeling that Kimimaro no matter how strong was nothing in comparison to the enemy queen that Shisui had encountered. The fact that a battle with her had unnerved someone like Shisui was enough to show Naruto that she was extremely dangerous, Kimimaro had also said she had taken a personal interest in him which would only mean they were bound to face each other in battle.

He looked up when Tsunade knelt before him and took his hands in hers. There was grave concern burning in her eyes...

"What are you not telling me?" she asked worriedly,

 ** _I...curse...you...to...die...of...a...broken...heart._**

Dismissing that dead man's voice from his memory he looked at his wife with a reassuring smile.

"I know what I am risking, Tsuna. But my people are dying, my clan is almost extinct, _my daughters..._ " he whispered hesitantly,

"Naruto..." she whispered sadly, even as she squeezed his hands gently.

"If we are doomed to die then I choose to die _fighting!_ That means doing everything in my power including putting my own life on the line to save our people. I will not be able to live with myself if I don't give it my all" he confessed, eyes gazing into hers.

"The Otsutsuki queen wants you dead" said Tsunade worriedly, she had heard tales about that woman's power and frankly it scared her.

"That makes it more important that I face her with the fox. Together we shall try to defeat her" said Naruto with as much confidence as he could muster but looking into her eyes he knew it was not enough.

"I'll fight with you" decided Tsunade, earning a firm look from him as he grasped her cheeks.

" _No_. You shall stay in the rear ranks and be away from danger" said Naruto frustratedly,

"You're a **moron** if you think I'm letting my husband go out there all alone!" yelled Tsunade furiously, her eyes ablaze with righteous fury.

The corner of Naruto's lips twitched into a faint smirk which he tried to fight back valiantly but couldn't stop himself from asking his next question.

"I'll _not_ be alone, Tsuna. The people cannot lose both their King and Queen, besides why are you so against this?" he asked seriously,

A tight slap across his cheek stunned him momentarily before he looked back at her. Tsunade's hands were shaking, her eyes shining with tears and her lips were trembling as well.

"You know why..."

Her voice was barely above a whisper that for a moment he thought it was just the air. But when he looked in her eyes,

He knew...

He slowly got up from his seat even as she took a few steps away from him. Her tears now freely falling from her eyes.

They both stood apart from each other but their eyes never lost contact. He didn't know what was going through her heart at this moment but he could not help but think about their first meeting. Despite the situation, it made him chuckle a little earning a nasty scowl from her.

Never could he have imagined to come to care for someone like Tsunade.

She was so fierce, stubborn and prideful. She was also very opinionated in her views and beliefs but there was also a gentle heart in that beautiful chest of hers. One that cared deeply for those close to her and a smart mind that had covered up for his own lacking's without any protest.

Now that he thought about it, she had started to occupy both his mind and heart with every passing day.

It was subtle at first and only became worse as they went through so many events together. He remembered his own apprehensions at the time of their marriage and how she would to adjust coming into his family. He remembered being delighted in finding a nervous but gentle woman who had the courage to extend a hand of friendship and partnership towards him despite their past family history. He remembered their growing affection followed by their fight, how she had plagued his mind all the way to Uzu to the moment where Kimimaro struck him down...a part of his heart had lamented the fact that he had that stupid fight with her and would never get to see her again.

How elated he had been when she was the first face he saw when he woke up.

Most importantly, Kurama was still his friend because of Tsunade.

She had always been a little jealous of the way he trusted the fox and his Uchiha friends over her but had never made any move to sabotage those relationships to favor herself. Even when Kurama and his friendship was on the brink of destruction, she didn't use that chance to make her position more favorable in his heart than that of the fox's.

 _She had thought about his interests and given him the right advice._

Even now she was worried and fighting so fiercely only for his safety.

 **"I love you, Naruto"** she confessed finally, after their never ending silence stretched too long.

He felt ashamed when he saw no need for reciprocation of that gesture in her eyes. Instead, she came forward and hugged him fiercely. His own emotions were a mess...

"The family cannot survive without you, Naruto" she almost begged him, and tightened her hold over him.

To her dismay, he gently broke the hug and grasped her shoulders with his hands.

" _It can_ and **it will** because they will have _you_ " he insisted with so much conviction that it scared her even more.

"Naruto-"

"I have repented my sins and I don't fear death. All that matters to me right now is saving our world and our people from extinction" he confessed honestly,

"I will not-"

He silenced her with the appearance of his Mangekyo and suddenly she felt a large part of her strength fading away from her.

" _Listen to me!_ If I fall, then you must assume leadership of the Kingdom. It may take years, decades, generations but mankind must **_never_** surrender to the Otsutsuki. If we fail, you will take refuge in these mountains with the survivors and continue the rebellion" he insisted fiercely,

"There is nothing left if you are gone" she confessed miserably,

She gasped in surprise when he placed his hand on her belly and released a gentle wave of chakra. Her breath stopped when instead of that wave of chakra passing through her body, it was instead...stopped midway.

It could only mean one thing and his next words confirmed her suspicions completely.

"The whole tree does _not_ die because one branch falls, Tsuna" he whispered,

She now knew why he didn't want her to fight alongside him this time, but this new reason alone ignited her desire to protect him tenfold. She didn't know whether to jump in joy or yell at him. It was this emotional turmoil that was allowing him to exert even more influence over her with his powerful eyes. It was subtle but she could already feel its effects taking over her.

"This child will need you just like I have" he whispered softly, as his hands gently caressed her flat belly.

"Don't do this!" she pleaded, but could already feel her consciousness fading away.

She barely heard another person entering the tent as her eyes were fixed on his sad but warm gaze.

"I know what you have done for me, Tsunade."

He glanced at the person standing behind them before focusing back on her and this time she saw all he wanted to say in that saddened gaze of his.

 _"Thank you"_

Their lips met each other for a final moment before he parted from her and the next thing she felt were strong arms gripping her shoulder and Naruto's voice that was quickly fading away from her.

"Keep her safe" ordered Naruto,

"I promise, my king" answered Itachi confidently, just as Tsunade's consciousness faded away.

* * *

Kurama watched Naruto disappear in his portal dimension and for several long minutes the Biju watched the _largest cavalry_ in human history line up. Men and women from different nations, young and old, ninjas and Samurai even civilians all ready to face the doom of their world.

Majority of them had accepted that most of them wouldn't be coming back alive yet there were also optimists and determined zealots who refused to give up. Honestly, humans were too confusing for the Biju to understand.

Only a force of more than 1000 wounded soldiers, medics and few dozen guards would be staying behind with Itachi and the queen. In case their army failed to defeat the enemy, then this force would probably be the last hope of humanity. Kurama had already sensed the growing life within Tsunade and considering how strong its chakra was, it had to be a boy.

Hundreds of sensor ninjas had discovered the queen's pregnancy and few religious zealots had somehow started pinning their hopes on the unborn royal heir.

Humans could be so dumb sometimes that it astounded Kurama even after thousands of years.

Regardless of that stupidity, he understood why Naruto left his wife behind. If everyone else failed, Tsunade and Itachi would be the last commanders left in this world. The unborn prince could become the last hope of the dying ninja kingdom if Naruto failed to defeat the Otsutsuki.

These were _not_ fable stories where good triumphed over evil. Considering the sheer number of dead the enemy must have amassed by rampaging across the heavily populated Land of Fire and combine that with the support of Kaguya clan, Hagoromo clan, and that cursed statue...the human army didn't have much chance of victory.

 _It was very likely they would all die in the Land of Fire._

But still they would fight till their last.

Hashirama and Shisui alongwith Hanzo, Mifune and Mito unleashed their swords as the primary portal started opening up courtesy of one of Naruto's clones. Many more of those shadow clones were already posted across various checkpoints from the Land of Lightning with Naruto himself maintaining the final portal in the Land of Fire. It would take them a day atleast to reach their destination.

Kurama roared defiantly and linked up his chakra with each and everyone of the 35,000 riders.

 _Together they charged!_

* * *

(Land of Fire)

 **Castle Tsukiyomi.**

The oldest and strongest defense of the Uchiha clan.

A fortress in all but name that had faced countless armies and repelled each and everyone of them.

Yet today there was an aura of doom and misery present in the unbreakable stronghold.

A few hundred fighters from the Uchiha, Nara and Hatake clans were all that was left of those ancient families. The rest of their people having perished in various battles. Inside the Castle, nearly 40,000 civilians had taken shelter when Lord Tajima offered them aid.

The Uchiha patriarch had been unable to stop most of his army from splitting up. Initially, his 30,000 strong force made up of ninjas and civilians had fought tooth and nail against the Otsutsuki hordes in the coastal areas. Thousands died but it allowed the civilians in the inner lands to reach Castle Tsukiyomi. Not everyone reached there in time but it was still better than everyone dying. But after that the enemy adopted a different tactic which worked flawlessly.

Not only did the enemy split its forces all over the Land of Fire...it started spreading horrific rumors of Madara dying with the rest of his army. Having no idea about the status of Hashirama and their main fighters, Madara had been the last hope for the Land of Fire.

To learn that he too had fallen was the final straw.

Various ninja clans broke faith and ran to save their own homes and people. It was folly for even united they were no match for the unending Otsutsuki army, Tajima pleaded his men to see reason but they never listened.

Defeated and dejected the Uchiha lord took refuge in his stronghold.

Most expected him to flee and save who he could but surprising them all, both Tajima and Sakumo Hatake decided to carry on their duties despite the repeated setbacks. Both men had at first been hopeful for the return of their sons with their army from the Land of Wind, but as days passed and no help came...they too realized that the enemy rumors were the truth.

No help was going to come for their sons were _dead_.

Sakumo still kept himself together to oversee the evacuation of the thousands of civilians on the Uchiha fleet to the dragon's secret island. But Tajima was miserable.

How could he not?

All his sons had perished.

His sister had died as well.

His clan was on the brink of extinction.

And yet that same man alongwith his clansmen had refused to abandon their stronghold and flee to their secret island. The Uchiha clan had decided to make Castle Tsukiyomi their _final ground_ where they would fight and hold the enemy to death so that thousands of civilians could escape. Not only would it save more lives but give hope to humanity in the future by not providing the enemy with more dead soldiers.

The Hatake and Nara were the only clans still standing alongside the dragons. Their members were also majorly wiped out but they too had decided to stand alongside the Uchiha in this final hour.

Together, the three clans had defended Castle Tsukiyomi for four days but were ultimately helpless against the endless enemy army. Level after level of the Castle was overrun, tower after tower destroyed, wall after wall crumbled...

The brutal rattling of the main gate of the courtyard brought Sakumo out of his despair.

Barely 250 Uchiha, Nara and Hatake who were fortunate/unfortunate enough to survive till now were trying their level best to defend the final gate. There were still 4000 civilians left to be evacuated who were all currently hiding in the caves built deeply inside the mighty Castle.

Sakumo wished they had Daen Nara here with them to offer some strategy they could use to defend against the enemy but the Nara leader was the sole officer holding the Capital and would soon enough be surrounded by the enemy. Thousands of civilians had flocked to the Capital while Tajima and his allies bought them time. Many chose Castle Tsukiyomi but several thousand more decided to run to the Capital believing it would offer them salvation against the army of dead.

He approached Tajima who was currently busy instructing one of his clansmen.

"Make sure that _no_ harm comes to her. You must know how important she is!" instructed Tajima fiercely, earning a devoted nod from the Uchiha ninja.

"Two of my brothers died to save her and her people against the enemy. We shall all defend her to death, Lord Tajima. For our nation's future... _for our fallen king_ " promised the lone Uchiha,

"Is this about the priestess?" asked Sakumo seriously, earning a curt nod from Tajima.

They were all surprised and elated when a few Uchiha arrived at Castle Tsukiyomi with a small group of priestesses from the Nadeshia clan. Among them was a woman named Shizuka who claimed to carry the King's children. No one had believed her at first until Shizuka showed them Madara's personal seal that had been given to her by the Hokage's personal guard stationed around the temple to protect her. Madara had planned for an emergency and had given Shizuka his personal seal with a letter addressed for Tajima to provide her shelter in any emergency as she carried Naruto's children. Most of the garrison deployed to protect the Nadeshia clan had laid down their lives when the Otsutsuki attacked in order to let the priestess escape so the line of their fallen king could survive.

Tajima had been on the verge of falling apart after realizing that Madara was also probably dead when he came to know about the existence of his _granddaughters_. The veteran Uchiha had wept tears of joy and relief before doing something that had not just shocked his allies but fellow Uchiha as well.

Lord Tajima who was a stickler for rules and traditions had bowed down before Shizuka offering the priestess his sincere gratitude and protection. Knowing that his sons had left something for Tajima to still fight for gave the veteran warrior the motivation to fight again.

"My lord, the priestess will be due in a week or two. The King had promised to name his daughters, but..." said the Uchiha soldier hesitantly,

Tajima grimaced as he was again reminded about his fallen son. But he steeled himself and looked at Ishikawa Uchiha seriously.

"Then as their grandfather, I name the elder of the two girls as _Hikari Uchiha_. She shall be the **next leader** of our people and the younger one I name... _Naori Uchiha_ " whispered Tajima sadly but with grim determination in his eyes,

"You're not coming with us, my lord?" asked Ishikawa in shock, not sure whether to be more stunned by his leader's decision to stay here or for the fact that Tajima just named a _female_ as the future Uchiha leader...something which had **_never_** happened in history. But with their clan almost on the brink of extinction and Madara or Naruto not leaving behind any male heirs, Shizuka's daughters were directly in line for the Uchiha leadership.

"A dragon never flees!" replied Tajima simply,

Sakumo grinned weakly even as Ishikawa Uchiha nodded and ran off to carry out the last orders of his liege lord. There was a grim sadness in Tajima's dark eyes as he saw the vast enemy army knocking at his gates but there was also hope for the man now had a small satisfaction that his line was not going to end today. Sakumo was the same as his own daughter Kiara was going to escape with a handful Uchiha, Nara and thousands of civilians to take refuge on the Uchiha's fortified island. He didn't know how they would survive this war in the future, but for now they would survive this day.

"What can we do against this sorcery, Sakumo?" asked Tajima tiredly,

Sakumo glanced at the thousands of dead that were storming all over the Castle. He looked at Tajima with a smile...

''We hold the line" answered Sakumo,

Tajima grinned despite the dark situation and saw the dragon banner still flying proudly from the top of his Castle. He had done everything in his power to save as many as he could.

 _I hope you can be proud of me now, Naruto._

He looked at the last of his clansmen and in everyone's eyes he saw one emotion.

Not resignation...

 **But Defiance!**

" _The dragon shall roar in this Castle one last time!_ " declared Tajima, earning loud approving cheers from his clansmen as he unleashed his sword.

He and Sakumo alongside their few remaining men all took up positions near the final gate which was slowly falling apart. The seals on it were already destroyed, the strong wood and metal crumbling under the relentless attacks of the Kaguya and their dead minions.

"I never thought I would die fighting side by side with a _Hatake_ " joked Tajima, much to the amusement of many Uchiha, Hatake and Nara as well.

"That's what _friends_ do, Lord Tajima" replied the Hatake leader, earning a grateful nod from the Uchiha veteran.

Tajima gripped his sword as the first cracks in the gate started to appear and he saw the hideous form of the Kaguya and their dead warriors on the other side.

 _"From the ashes we shall rise again!"_

The upper layers of the gate crumbled.

 _"For our people!"_ yelled Sakumo as he unleashed his sword,

 _"For our king!"_ yelled one of the Nara officers,

The gates were utterly destroyed as Tajima's defiant roar swept through the entire Castle.

 **"FIRE AND BLOOD!"**

The Uchihas all together unleashed a fierce volley of fireballs that set alight the entire first wave of Kaguya's and dead warriors.

The Nara officer alongwith his clansmen used their shadows to trap the next wave of enemies allowing the Hatake ninjas ample time to blast them all with explosives.

Tajima and his army of ninjas charged down the slope of the Castle like a tidal wave slaughtering surprised enemy forces mercilessly.

The Uchiha clan head led the attack and used his sword brutally to carve apart Kaguya morons stupid enough to attack him.

Then suddenly the enemy stopped.

One of the Otsutsuki warriors stepped forward and glared right at Tajima. The enemy army reformed their lines once more and were about to follow after their ancient leader when a thunderous blast rocked the entire area.

Tajima and Sakumo both were left speechless when an entire hill near the Castle was blasted apart.

Both armies saw a monstrous shadow emerge from the ashes and take to the skies. What followed after was a beastly warcry...

 _ **"TO THE KING!"**_

 _ **"TO THE KING!"**_

 _ **"TO THE KING!"**_

Every Otsutsuki and their supporters near Tajima were instantly set ablaze in dark flames making them screech in horror and agony. If that was not enough, Sakumo watched in silent awe as a young boy sitting atop a massive ninja dog tore through the enemy lines outside the Castle with feral viciousness.

He was joined by a brown skinned veteran man seated atop a monkey who also started wrecking havoc among the Otsutsuki ranks.

 _Kakashi Hatake and Sasuke Sarutobi_ were not alone in the fight as they were joined by thousands of angry ninjas from the Land of Fire, Wind and Earth who all pounced on the enemy army with pure murder in their hearts.

Tajima could only stare at the massive **Susanoo** flying in the sky unleashing hell across the battlefield. After Indra, very few Uchiha had awakened this power and to see his eldest son be its new wielder filled him with pride. The fact that Madara was still alive alone was enough to make the clan head raise his sword again.

A single cry was unleashed across the battlefield by the furious Susanno warrior _._

 _"KILL THEM ALL!"_


	35. Fire and Blood

**Thank you for the support. Hope you continue it till the end.**

 **Music Recommendation: AOT original Soundtrack Mix/ Rohan Soundtrack.**

 **Chapter 35**

 **Fire and Blood**

* * *

 _(One Day Later: Kyoto)_

It was a cold but beautiful night.

The wind was almost non-existent.

The lands ever silent.

The last of humanity hiding behind the strong walls of the city.

But they all knew...it would not be enough.

One man knew this bitter truth better than anyone else and yet that didn't stop him from standing proudly to defend the last stronghold of his nation.

Out of all the likely scenario concerning his end, Madara had never imagined one so cruel as this.

His clan was gone, all of his brothers were dead, his best friend missing and his nation on the edge of utter annihilation. Honestly, there was nothing left for him to fight for. Only his hate and desire for revenge kept him going on but to be honest he felt _hollow_...as if someone had taken away everything from him leaving only a dead husk behind.

Yet he could not help but remember the hopes his youngest brother had for this nation and its people. It was not just Naruto, but Tobirama, Naori, almost every single ninja regardless of their clans who died for this country...they all made the ultimate sacrifice for the Land of Fire.

He had never imagined himself being a Hokage much less a King but there was no choice in those matters. He would most probably be the _last_ king of men, but it would not stop him from offering the most fierce defiance to the Otsutsuki.

It was this sheer determination and hate that had allowed him to utterly crush the enemy army besieging _Castle Tsukiyomi_. So sudden and brutal was the attack staged by Madara alongwith his forces, that the Otsutsuki had been forced to retreat allowing Tajima to fall back with the survivors to the Fire Capital with his last son and his army in tow. This miracle would not have been possible had the Otsutsuki queen been at the head of her army. Fortunately, she had not been present and her fellow clansmen had been no match for Madara.

She must have realized her mistake as this time Madara felt a monstrous presence marching towards him alongwith an army of darkness.

A force nearly 300,000 strong.

Against that he barely had 25,000 ninjas and civilians combined most of whom were tired, scared and battling despair. One final stroke and it would break their back marking the end of everything.

It was why he had with the help of Nagato Uzumaki helped in erecting a series of dozens of walls across the Capital. All of them marked to the brim with seals of all nature. In between each walls he had placed forces ready to respond in the event of a breach.

Tajima Uchiha would lead the defense of the Northern Walls.

Sakumo Hatake would lead the defense of the Southern Walls.

Daen Nara would lead the defense of the Eastern Walls.

Sasuke Sarutobi would lead the defense of the Western Walls.

Each of these four commanders had nearly 6000 men with them while Madara stood outside the city with a Vanguard of 1000 elite forces who had chosen to fight and die by the side of their last king.

Among those were the **Dragonguard**.

Apart from his defense of _Castle Tsukiyomi_ and the Capital, as the new king...Madara had officially established the noble order of warriors sworn to defend the King. It was more of a symbolic gesture but every little action that boosted morale was crucial.

Unlike the legendary **Kingsguard** of The First Dragon King, Madara's sworn defenders included the likes of Mikoto Uchiha, Danzo Shimura and Kakashi Hatake. All three had fought alongside their former Hokage now King in all his battles and were also present by his side in this final clash.

Watching the enemy armada approach made the three Dragonguard warriors step beside their King.

"What are your orders, my king?" asked Kakashi Hatake seriously,

He and his other two comrades were surprised when Madara grinned despite the horrific situation. The King turned to look at his Dragonguard followed by looking at the 1000 men standing behind him.

"Can you all feel it?" asked the King calmly,

He didn't need to be a genius to understand the emotions burning in the hearts of his ninjas. It was clear to see just from a single look into their eyes.

"Fear. I feel the same, it happens to me in every battle" admitted Madara honestly,

His eyebrows twitched when almost everyone looked at him in disbelief. Almost no one believed that someone like him could feel something as _trivial_ as fear against anyone. Not even in death.

Madara sighed. How did his brother ever deal with such simpletons?

"You feel it too in almost every battle of your life. This one is no different, your heart is beating faster than it should, your throat is dry and your legs threaten to betray you every few moments. We all consider ourselves to be brave and skilled, we have trained for moments like these our entire lives...but in truth almost everyone of us wonders whether it would be enough? Whether we would be able to complete our mission or succumb to doubts and fears. There is no shame in fear but don't let it overcome your strength or you are already defeated. The truth is, brave men feel the same fear as cowards do" explained Madara frankly,

"Then how can a person be brave when they are afraid?" asked Danzo hesitantly, making Madara smile.

" _You fight!_ You may piss yourself but you **stand** your ground, You may tremble but still **grab** your sword, You may cry for your mothers or loved ones but still **meet** an enemy you cannot defeat, You may lose hope but still **continue** fighting no matter what. It does not matter how weak or outnumbered you are, one truth never changes in this world"

 **''Everything can be killed. Even the dead"**

The King was pleased to see hope return in many eyes including those of his Dragonguard as they stared at the monstrous enemy army with a newfound determination.

"Make a choice today. _Choose to die or choose to make those bastards die for you_. Most of all, keep on fighting until your enemy is dead. They can be killed, they can be wounded, they can be defeated! Maybe we are too few to win this battle...yet this is where we fight! This is where **they die!** " declared Madara loudly,

The ground beneath their feet trembled and more than one shocked gasp could be heard as the daunting form of the humanoid statue marched towards them alongside its army made up of Kaguyas, Hagoromo, and dead warriors.

The monstrosity glared down at the Vanguard and each fighter felt the killing intent of a god rain down on them threatening to suck away every last memory of happiness from their hearts and replace it with misery.

Yet the aura of death and gloom was stopped.

The humanoid statue and the Otsutsuki army stopped dead in their tracks when a sword of lightning was unleashed.

Ashura Senju's sword now being wielded by Madara Uchiha.

Madara sensed the power of the enemy but he still smiled confidently as he glanced at the holy sword in his hand. Its former master had alone held off an Otsutsuki army all by himself. If that man could accomplish such a feat by himself, then why couldn't he beat these monsters with the help of others?

 _He refused to surrender!_

 _He refused to fall to despair!_

 _He refused to fail!_

With a proud smile, he glanced back at his elite soldiers whose eyes found his unwavering gaze.

 **"For Tobirama!"**

Madara charged.

Mikoto, Kakashi and Danzo all unleashed their swords together with one final battlecry leaving their lips as they charged.

The roars of 1000 elite ninjas from all over the world followed after them.

The dark haired warrior leading the final charge of mankind had no crown upon his head. All he had was his clan's armor, the sword gifted by a good friend, the support of the men following him, and the desire to fight till his last.

 **"Fire Style: Great Fire Annihilation!"**

Madara and almost every fire user in his army finished their hand seals to deliver their opening attack even as they charged towards the enemy army. A wave of raging fire spanning across the entire battlefield was unleashed and headed straight towards the enemy army.

Only to be absorbed away completely mid-charge.

Madara clenched his teeth as he caught the amusedly smirking enemy queen seated atop the humanoid statue. Her outstretched hand now pointed a mocking finger towards Madara.

Her smirk soon vanished when Madara grinned savagely.

 **"Amaterasu"**

Hinata Otsutsuki was forced to jump from her statue immediately as it was set ablaze in the merciless flames of Amaterasu. Those very same flames were again unleashed by the deadly Uchiha's eyes and directly incinerated the entire frontal line of the Otsutsuki army.

"Dragonguard, _let's dance!_ " cheered Madara,

His men roared in approval when the familiar form of Madara's Susanno started forming around him. The humanoid warrior with the face of a demonic bull roared again as it started rising in height and mass. It charged forward crushing hundreds of enemy warriors under its gigantic legs without mercy before the wings on its back flapped wildly making it take to the skies.

The Susanoo had a monstrous sword of lightning in its hands and its beastly mouth was brimming with dark flames.

 **"DRAGONFIRE!"** yelled Madara fiercely,

The Susanoo forever bound to the commands of its master opened its mouth and unleashed a stream of dark flames like a raging dragon consuming thousands upon thousands of Otsutsuki warriors in its wrath. Their screams earning another round of cheers from the ninjas as they tore through the disorganized and panicked enemy lines.

The Kaguyas were not to be deterred as they pushed forward, but many Hagoromo on watching their fellow clanmates be burned in the flames of a dragonlord...broke ranks and ran. If only they knew their ultimate fate...

Madara made another pass unleashing a second wave of dark flames setting aflame thousands more.

Hinata Otsutsuki clenched her fists on seeing the havoc being wrecked upon her forces. She had been unable to stop this disastrous rampage due to her being forced to extinguish Gedo Mazo from being destroyed in the flames of Amaterasu launched by Madara.

The Uchiha had intentionally hit the statue expecting her to scramble to save it thereby leaving her army open for decimation.

The trick had worked once.

 _Not anymore!_

Her eyes narrowed dangerously at the flying beast as she finished gathering the energy required.

 **"Bansho Tenin (Gravitational Pull)!"**

The Susanoo felt a fierce power suddenly grabbing hold of its body before yanking it down to the battlefield brutally. Nobody cared if hundreds of Otsutsuki allies and even few ninjas were crushed in that crash. To his credit, Madara quickly regained his bearings and was about to make his Susanoo stand back up when he heard a gruesome roar.

The humanoid statue now having recovered from the initial attack charged right at him with murder in its hideous eyes. On top of the beast was the enemy queen.

Yet Madara was not intimated as he again tried to set the beast aflame but this the enemy kunoichi was prepared and easily absorbed the cursed fire before it spread across the statue.

 **"RAIKIRI!"**

The enlarged holy sword of Madara's Susanoo fired off a dangerous bolt of lightning but he was surprised when the humanoid statue swiftly dodged the incoming attack. Madara raised the sword of his celestial warrior in order to defend and was again surprised when Hinata Otsutsuki glared at him.

 **"Shinra Tensei!"**

Sensing the power behind the attack, Madara instantly stabbed his Susanoo sword deep in the ground just as the gravitational force hit him like a tidal wave. The Susanoo was brought to its knees even as dozens of fighters from both sides were sent flying away.

Even if the Susanoo managed to prevent itself from being sent flying away, it was left open and too slow in reaction for the next attack.

The Gedo Mazo connected a solid punch to its adversary's face sending it crashing away. Yet in midflight, Madara roared even more furiously and with ten times the defiance.

 **"Yasaka Magatama!"**

Large black beads of dark energy were formed in the Susanoo's only free hand before being launched towards the enemy queen and her statue. Watching the incoming attack, the queen pushed both her hands forward.

 **"Tendo!"**

Much to the surprise of the ninjas, dozens of missile like projectiles were launched by the white haired woman which sailed and collided head on with Madara's attack. Both jutsu ultimately ending up destroying each other rather than being able to inflict any actual harm.

Madara flinched when the demonic statue opened its mouth to launch an attack that had caused great suffering and misery before. The purple ethereal dragon came rushing out and roared in eagerness as it dashed forward towards its prey which was Madara's personal force.

Panic spread through his mind as he scrambled for any idea that might help him stop this beast.

Not having the time or idea he did the only thing that came to his mind.

Hinata Otsutsuki had become used to the idea of self sacrifice after watching so many shinobi die for their breatheren in this war one after another. Their actions while valiant were futile since the end result was the same.

Except for Madara.

The new and last dragon king literally _slammed_ his Susanoo right into the soul stealing purple dragon. The beast itself was stunned when it didn't pass through the Susanoo and steal the soul of its master. A brutal left hook saw the dragon crashing to the ground. It looked up to see nothing but pure rage in Madara's eyes.

The extended form of _Raijin no Ken_ merged inside the Susanoo was raised in the air.

 **"FOR MY BROTHER!"**

The holy sword plunged through the ancient beast making it scream in agony as the lightning weapon surged a destructive power. The pure chakra clashed violently against the darker one of the dragon and ultimately subdued it. It was not enough for Madara as he still remembered reading about the fact that this monster had killed his last brother and aunt.

The dragon was already ripped into half and convulsing in agony on the ground much to the shock of the Otsutsuki.

Madara gave it the same justice which he had given to the rebel leaders who had tried to destroy his army in the Land of Wind.

The holy sword held by Susanoo severed the dragon's head mercilessly and Madara grabbed the hideous face of the monster before tossing it right in front of Hinata.

The Otsutsuki queen was shocked.

It had been a very long time since she had seen such _brutal power_. Even the previous dragon king fought more with tactics than power yet he had also lost. But this King...

The hatred in Madara's eyes for her was more deep and violent than the one she had seen in Indra.

The King's Susanoo gave a fearsome cry making many of Hinata's fellow clansmen and allies take several steps back.

"How will you defeat us, Uchiha Madara? A King with no dragons and a pitiful force" mocked Hinata,

To her surprise, instead of the remark riling up Madara and making him attack recklessly it only made the Uchiha stare at her as if she was a dumb child.

"You're _looking_ at a dragon and I'm not the one using dead people for their dirty work. So far have the mighty Otsutsuki fallen...or were you this _pathetic_ even during Kaguya's reign. I won't be surprised if that's true" scolded Madara harshly,

"Be careful with your words, Uchiha. Insult our queen again-"

 **"Fuck the queen!"**

Madara's moment of triumph was soon replaced by dread when Hinata quickly performed a set of hand seals and slammed her hand on the ground.

 **"Summoning Jutsu"**

It was a moment of awe and despair both for the handful Uchiha alongwith their King when the smoke disappeared to reveal three magnificent beasts that were thought to be long lost. Only they had been taken captive by the Otsutsuki.

Three beasts that were almost as large as the Susanoo now stood before the Uchiha King. Their scales as tough as the armor of Susanoo, their fiery breaths as deadly as the flames of Amaterasu, their murderous eyes emitting the same anger and hatred present in the eyes of the Susanoo.

 _To think I would be forced to fight against them._

Sadness gripped Madara's heart as he saw the three dragons be placed against him. He like the rest of his clan had always believed that the ancient beasts had existed in the world once upon a time, to be finally proven right and see them with his own eyes brought him great joy. Knowing they were forced to serve the enemy filled him with anger.

The Gedo Mazo for all its power was no match for these creatures as they flapped their wings and took to the skies for the first time in thousands of years.

 **"Let the dance of dragons begin!"** said Hinata coldly,

Watching that smug smile be wiped off from Madara's lips only to be replaced by dread gave her great satisfaction. The Uchiha's were so predictable and they were the same as Indra had been. Take away their pride and power, and they were nothing.

She had seen nearly half of Indra's determination falter when his dragon summoning creatures were defeated and stolen by Hinata and her kind. In the first war, all of Indra's sons had received the dragon contract from their father. All of them had ridden those beasts into battle and when they fell, the sons of Indra lost hope and were ultimately defeated.

Seeing the same despair and sadness present in the eyes of the last Uchiha survivors gave her immense satisfaction.

 _How ironic that they would die at the hands of the very same beasts they had worshiped their entire lives._

Still, she could not help but be impressed with Madara as the Uchiha King took his Susanoo to the skies to meet the approaching three dragons head on. Only someone like Madara would have the balls to risk such a move...

For all his faults and weaknesses, even the Otsutsuki queen could not deny the fact that Madara Uchiha was perhaps the most _fearsome warrior_ she had ever seen. He knew he would die today, he knew his defeat was imminent, he knew there was no hope, he knew his family was gone...

Yet only word came out his lips for his terrified soldiers battling against the Otsutsuki hordes.

 **"FIGHT!"**

Hinata raised her hand as she saw the Susanoo warrior about to clash against the furious three dragons charging towards them. The battlefield being consumed in their fearsome cries and looming shadows.

As one the three monstrous dragons unleashed a hurricane of bright red flames at the approaching Susanoo.

Even if those monsters fought high in the skies, every warrior on the ground felt the scorching heat in those flames as they raced towards Madara whose own warrior form unleashed its counterattack.

 **"AMATERASU!"**

Dark flames were unleashed by the demonic bull headed Susanoo and they clashed head on against raging dragonfire.

To everyone utter shock, the dark flames started not only pushing the dragonfire back...but also started _consuming_ it much to the surprise of the three dragons.

The Otsutsuki queen was again left speechless by Madara Uchiha.

 _He was not joking when he said he was a dragon himself. His anger and hatred burns even more brightly than those of the beasts themselves. How much power does he have in that mortal body of his?_

Deciding not to take any more risks against this dangerous foe, Hinata Otsutsuki gave the command.

Gedo Mazo fired off a large bolt of lightning that directly hit the heart of the Susanoo where Madara was located. The warrior jolted making the stream of Amaterasu flames falter. The three dragons pushed their own flames more viciously than ever.

As the first cracks in the Susanoo started to appear, Hinata decided to deal the final blow.

 **"Bansho Tenin!''**

Madara's control over his flames collapsed as he was brutally yanked back towards the ground. The dragons used the golden opportunity to swoop down straight towards the Susanoo and bathed it in their merciless fire.

Hinata smirked as the warrior King fell to the ground brutally and was totally consumed in dragonfire raining down on him from all sides. She marched forward knowing it was the end for Madara...

She was about to raise her hand in order to crush the diminished elite of the ninja when she heard that horrible scream.

Turning back she could not believe what she witnessed.

One of the dragons crashed to the ground screaming in unbearable agony courtesy of the lightning strike that rained from the sky and pierced through its tough scales. The reason for that strike was the lightning sword being held defiantly by Susanoo even as it was being burned alive.

Madara and his beast despite being badly burned rose from the ground and jumped high in the air. The remaining two dragons had not expected this defiance and were too close to fly away. The holy sword of Raijin pierced through one of the dragon's heart as the remaining hand of Susanoo grabbed the last dragon by its neck.

The Uchiha King was panting harshly with blood leaking all over his body. While he was yet to be burned, his Susanoo was utterly charred from head to toe and crumbling apart. Madara roared defiantly as he flipped the last dragon wildly in the air before slamming the beast brutally into the ground killing hundreds of more enemy forces.

The beast screamed in agony before falling silent again.

The King looked at the ancient creatures. One of them was dead thanks to Raijin piercing its heart, the other two were mortally wounded and would probably not survive. It was a true shame that such magnificent creatures were reduced to this state. Madara doubted that any normal ninja could have taken down these ferocious beasts easily, if not for Susanoo then they would have roasted him alive.

He gasped in pain as he felt something pierce through his Susanoo.

Looking down he saw a long and broad white shaped spear lodged clean through his Susanoo. Dark seals started spreading from the spear towards the Susanoo's body and Madara felt his energy being suppressed rapidly.

 _Chakra Suppressors._

He was barely able to turn his monstrous Susanoo around but was too late as the Otsutsuki queen had already floated through the air with her attack ready.

 **"Gentle Fist!"**

The Susanoo's chest cracked open as it stumbled backwards and gracelessly fell to the ground. Madara coughed blood as he tried to fight off the immense pain the strike had caused to his heart. The enemy queen had seen through Susanoo's weakest point and delivered a merciless strike. From the corner of his eyes, he saw his elite forces led by his Dragonguard being surrounded by all sides by the massive enemy army.

He glanced at the Capital knowing his father, all those ninjas, and nearly 100,000 civilians were holed up in there. If he failed, then they would all be killed.

Gathering his strength and suppressing his pain, Madara started to rise back again only to receive small boulder sized chakra fist attacks from the enemy queen.

 **"Eight Triagrams: Sixty Four Palms!"**

Madara was sent back to the ground as massive fists of chakra delivered precise and brutal strikes all over his Susanoo form. The warrior king already battling his own pain and losing more and more of his chakra to the suppression seals was unable to continue providing chakra that his crumbling Susanoo needed.

With a final grunt, Madara was flattened across the ground with his Susanoo now crumbling fully around him.

Hinata saw a river of blood leaking from Madara's eyes and she could only imagine the amount of pain the Uchiha must be in. The Mangekyo Sharingan was a double edged sword which consumed its master and enemies both in the end.

"Now you die" she declared calmly, as she produced one final white shaped spear aiming it Madara's still form on the ground.

The blood soaked warrior looked at her and even now the defiance in his eyes irked her immensely.

 _"One day...you...shall...fall"_ cursed Madara,

Hinata didn't reply as she threw the spear and growled angrily when the stubborn Uchiha ignited it in black flames.

The little pest refused to die!

She was about to close in to finish the annoying pest once and for all when another war horn was heard across the battlefield. It was neither hers or Madara's.

Three dark portals appeared across the west, east and south side of the battlefield. Much to everyone's surprise the roars of the thousand of warriors mounted atop horses invaded the battlefield.

With the Capital city in the Northern direction, this new army had effectively surrounded the Otsutsuki on all sides.

Hinata clenched her fists when she saw nearly 25,000 ninjas and Samurai approach on foot to surround her army from the rear. The Senju flag was held proudly by Hashirama Senju and Mito Uzumaki who stood at the helm of this massive army.

On the eastern flank was flying the flag of the Samurai Nation with a 5000 strong mounted cavalry taking up positions under the leadership of Mifune and Hanzo.

But it was the western flank that shocked everyone on the battlefield.

 _"Damn you, Kimimaro!"_ cursed Hinata bitterly, as she saw the three headed dragon banner once more.

Madara smiled in relief and joy when he saw his last and youngest brother mounted atop the Kyuubi. He had no golden armor or a crown upon his head yet even wearing a simple Uchiha armor was enough to make Naruto Uchiha strike a fear in the hearts of his enemies.

Behind the King stood the Kingsguard and a cavalry of 5000 ninjas.

* * *

Tajima and the other commanders were hardly able to believe what they were witnessing.

Not only was the enemy surrounded but their King was _alive!_

And he had returned for vengeance against the enemies of mankind.

A massive infantry led by Hashirama had surrounded the Otsutsuki from the rear cutting off any escape from that route. Knowing the power of the Senju leader, the enemy was going to be in trouble.

A 10,000 strong cavalry had surrounded both the flanks of the enemy.

Tajima looked at Sakumo Hatake, Daen Nara, Sasuke Sarutobi and Nagato Uzumaki who all had the same looks in their eyes. They had all been forced to stay safe behind the city walls since Madara ordered them to preserve their forces. Tajima had been about to charge out ignoring the order when he saw his last son about to be killed. It would have led to everyone's death but now...

 _It might just save their lives._

 **"We stand with our King to death!"** declared Tajima,

The roars of 25,000 ninjas within the city made the Uchiha patriarch smile as he unleashed his sword.

Together, the ninja army charged out of the city to complete surrounding of the enemy army from all sides.

The Otsutsuki had nearly 300,000 warriors in their forces alongwith that statue but even they bristled alongwith their queen when almost 70,000 humans surrounded them from all sides.

* * *

Naruto heard several sharp breaths being taken from his own ranks as everyone saw the sheer size of the enemy army for the first time. It was like a picture of a massive wave of darkness which dwarfed them all even when surrounded from all sides.

The sight of Gedo Mazo sent a wave of panic and fear among his 5000 strong force.

He felt Kurama tense as well but to everyone's credit not even _one_ ninja, samurai, or civilian warrior fled at the sight of the massive enemy army.

They trembled but stood their ground.

Turning back, Naruto saw his three friends staring at the enemy army with a mixture of nervousness and determination.

Their 5000 strong force was made up of ninjas, samurai and even civilians as was the case with the cavalry led by Mifune and Hanzo on the opposite flank.

"We stick to the plan! Kagami, take command of our left flank and support my father's forces near the city walls! Takeshi, take command of the right flank and support Hashirama in crushing the enemy's rear! Shisui, you and your men shall follow me right towards the heart of the enemy army!" commanded Naruto,

"HAI!" chorused three reply,

The three Kingsguard swiftly parted to take command of the respective troops assigned to them.

Naruto wanted to launch the attack immediately but saw that his men were still trying to accept the dreadful sight before them. It was one thing to accept your death but an entire different matter when you see it right in front of you.

The defiant roar of the enemy army as they scrambled to defend all their flanks under the Otsutsuki leadership didn't reassure the human army. They had managed to surprise the enemy...but their resolve was yet to be broken.

 **"Warriors of this world!"** yelled Naruto, surprised at the power of his own voice as it was heard across the entire battlefield by both enemies and allies alike.

Kurama had the foresight to travel through the dimensions in its smaller form and Naruto used this fact to make sure he and his men looked eye to eye.

"A great battle shall happen this day! Today, mankind fights for its survival! Let the dead see the resolve of the living! Let them taste the power of swords! " declared Naruto,

The sight of the King unleashing **Dawn** was the cue for the rest of the army to raise their own weapons.

 _"A day of RECKONING!"_

 _"A day of JUSTICE!"_

 _"A day of VICTORY!"_

As Naruto galloped across the lines of his men, he narrowed his eyes for a moment when he saw a distant face in the crowd. Dismissing those thoughts, he focused on making his last observations of his troops.

The desire to fight and make the Otsutsuki pay was now reemerging in every warrior's eyes as they listened acutely to their King.

"Stand now! Fight now!" encouraged Naruto with every ounce of his own determination,

He narrowed his eyes dangerously when he saw the wounded form of his eldest brother being carried away from the battlefield by several ninjas. The Otsutsuki queen had lost interest in him and had instead scrambled to defend her surrounded army. But the fact that she had hurt his brother filled his heart with even more fierce hatred.

He clashed his sword fiercely against those of the men near him and made sure they saw the fire in his own eyes.

 **"FIGHT FOR VENGEANCE! FIGHT FOR THE LOST!"**

The first rays of the sunlight pierced through the dark skies to fall upon the lands. Looking at his friends, he declared the words of his clan.

 _"FIRE!"_

 **"FIRE!"**

As one the entire ninja army roared silencing the entire battlefield with their warcry. Naruto turned to face the enemy army with his sword raised defiantly in the air.

 _"BLOOD!"_

 **"BLOOD!"**

His eyes met the gaze of Hinata Otsutsuki for the first time as he pointed his sword at the enemy army giving out his final order.

 _"DEATH!"_

From all four ninja armies surrounding the enemy came out one reply.

 **"DEATH!"**

 **"DEATH!"**

 **"DEATH!"**

 **"DEATH!"**

The Kyuubi roared as the King pointed his sword forward unleashing the fury of his race.

 _"FOR MANKIND!"_

The ground shook terribly as thousands of humans charged from all directions. From the flanks came a combined 10,000 strong cavalry. From the front and rear of the Otsutsuki came a furious force of 50,000 strong ninja fighters on the ground.

Naruto activated his Mangekyo Sharingan as he felt Kurama start to increase in size. Within seconds the beast gained its true monstrous form and was quickly shrouded in Susanoo armor. The new entity of man and beast made an intimidating sight as its head was a mixture of fox and dragon face. The monster charged on four paws yet it also had two large hands holding the sword of **Dawn** and a **Shield of Amaterasu**.

Behind this monster was a roaring cavalry of 5000 angry humans.

The Otsutsuki army to their credit were quick in forming deep and wide defensive lines on all sides with the dead warriors at the front, bloodthirsty Kaguya in the center and Hagoromo in the rear with the remaining strange troops. Each side was being commanded by atleast two Otsutsuki officers with the queen herself taking charge of the rear where Hashirama was charging with his massive army.

The dead who were unable to use jutsu simply locked their shields and raised their swords or spears forming a firm defensive wall in each direction. The Kaguya and Hagoromo had no such restriction and were quick to start gathering chakra at the command of their Otsutsuki officers.

 _"Slaughter them!"_ yelled the Otsutsuki officers,

Each ninja faction charging on every side saw a storm of arrows, shuriken, kunai, fireballs rise high in the sky. On the ground, the enemy army split the earth into vast swamps, jagged rock spears, made the ground slippery or simply caused a massive earthquake to break the ninja army's charge.

Hundreds of ninjas, Samurai and civilians succumbed to the series of attacks on all sides.

 **"CHARGE!"** yelled Naruto murderously,

On the rear, he saw Hashirama unleash a forest of trees that annihilated the entire frontal ranks of the enemy despite the Otsutsuki queen's best efforts to defend her men. On the east flank, the Samurai cavalry led by Mifune and Hanzo continued their charge despite their mounting losses and Hanzo even unleashed a smokescreen of poison that directly hit several Kaguya and Hagoromo. On the frontal side, braving all losses Tajima and his ninjas unleashed a variety of jutsu making the enemy pay for every ninja they killed as they charged in closer and closer.

Several of Naruto's own cavalry fell to the numerous attacks launched by the enemy but no one stopped.

Not when they all saw the Susanoo/Kyuubi form a massive _Bijudama_.

 **"FIRE!"** commanded Naruto,

The tailed beast bomb was launched forward and it sailed right for the enemy forces stationed on the western flank.

A disastrous explosion happened on the western flank as the Bijudama literally _evaporated_ thousands upon thousands of enemy forces. The attack showed no mercy to either Kaguya, Hagoromo, or even the dead. One of the Otsutsuki officers on the flank was also killed in the explosion.

The remaining lone Otsutsuki officer on the western flank saw half of his flank be destroyed in seconds and the other half was completely disorganized with the threat of collapsing any moment.

He commanded what few hundred dead he had left to form another defensive line but froze on seeing thousands of murderous cavalrymen charging right at him lead by the Dragon King himself.

The last thing the Otsutsuki ever saw was Naruto's monstrous Susanoo sword crashing down on him and then he knew no more.

The Susanoo/Kyuubi monster thrashed its nine massive tails sending the remaining Otsutsuki fighters crashing away. The King mounted atop the fox also used his monstrous ethereal sword and shield of black flames to pummel dozens more every second. The last presence of enemy forces on the western flank were utterly annihilated by thousands of angry cavalrymen led by Shisui, Kagami and Takeshi who tore through the enemy lines with ease, their wooden chakra horses making quick work of the enemy stragglers by crushing them under their feet.

The eastern flanks faced a similar situation with Hanzo's Salamander going berserk on enemy lines and the remaining enemy unity being broken by the disciplined and ferocious Samurai led by Mifune.

Hashirama and Tajima's massive forces had already clashed against the enemy on the front and rear sides. Unlike the enemy flanks which were almost destroyed completely, those two sides were holding well thanks to sheer numbers on the front and the presence of the queen in the rear.

Naruto and his cavalry had effectively wiped out the entire western flank in one single strike and were busy eliminating the stragglers when they heard a monstrous roar.

The King looked ahead and saw the Gedo Mazo tremble and soon enough it unleashed eight shadows from within its body. Eight shadows that took up the shape of very familiar monsters that made Kurama growl furiously.

 _They were the eight tailed beasts thought lost over the centuries._

Naruto's worst fears came true as those very same destructive beasts were now revealed to be captured by the Otsutsuki. Judging by their blank eyes and heavy seals on their massive bodies left no doubt as to under whose control they were.

Now all eight of them zeroed in on the largest threat on the battlefield and roared.

Every tailed beast was quickly commandeered by one Otsutsuki warrior as they all now made a straight line towards Naruto and his cavalry.

The ground threatened to sink into the earth with the terrible rumbling and the killing intent of the ancient beasts instantly stopped the ninjas on the western flanks as their terrified eyes glanced at the death approaching their way.

 _"Form up! Regroup!"_ roared the King urgently, as he raised his Susanoo sword.

Naruto's timely command and the quick thinking of the three Kingsguard saw the scattered cavalry again reforming itself into an inverted V-shaped attack formation despite the tailed beasts charging right towards them.

The Dragon King pointed his sword forward and yelled out loudly for every man to hear the command,

 _ **"CHARGE!"**_


	36. The Last Dragons

**Been very ill these past few days leading to slow updates. I've also started updating Humanity's Last Stand again and posted a new chapter already. It will take me one or two more chapters to finish this story, so hang in there.**

 **Chapter 36**

 **The Last Dragons**

* * *

He was afraid.

Never before in his life had he encountered something so grand and enormous than this.

Every instinct inside of him was screaming at him to run away.

Yet he charged.

So did the thousands around him.

Together they not only stood their ground but also ran to face the greatest powers of their world.

Each one of them knowing what would be their fate.

Yet everyone had something worth fighting for.

It could be a loved one, a friend, the love for country, the need for revenge, or just a desire to earn glory or even be a part of this great battle.

He did not know what was going through the hearts of his men but he did know what he was fighting for.

The image of his beautiful wife holding a small infant in her arms, one who he had her hair and his eyes and face. A child who would inherit the best of both him and her, a life that would never be forced to vanish at the hands of monsters.

The battlefield was dwarfed in the thunderous roars of the gigantic beasts.

He saw them all create monstrous balls of dark chakra at the command of their Otsutsuki riders and aim them at his army.

He and his men prepared themselves.

Eight large Bijudama were fired at once making the skies and lands tremble with their power as they raced towards their target.

 _Him._

While expecting an attack like this, he had not anticipated the Otsutsuki using their final trump card solely against him instead of against the entire ninja army. But then again, he was currently the greatest threat after Hashirama on the battlefield.

 **"Kamui"**

His prized dojutsu obeyed his command faithfully and opened a portal quickly to absorb the series of tailed beast bombs. However, that action had slowed down his charge while his supporters did not.

With suicidal war cries, the ninja cavalry clashed against the tailed beast squad.

No matter how brave or skilled they were...not every human could match the power of a Biju.

The very first proof of this heartbreaking truth was witnessed when the Six Tails literally smashed hundreds of humans in one swing of its numerous tails. Takeshi was one of the many to be hit and was sent flying high in the air with one of his legs already severed. Mikoto's brother screamed as they Six Tails grabbed him by its teeth in mid air.

Naruto roared in fury and moved to save his friend but was blocked when three tailed beast literally jumped over him sending him crashing down. From the corner of his eyes, he saw the Otsutsuki commanding the Six Tails glance at the trapped form of Takeshi with a satisfied smile. He couldn't decipher the words said by the white haired ancient warrior but he did sense the massive build up of energy.

Takeshi was about to be evaporated courtesy of a Bijudama while he was trapped in the Six Tail's mouth.

The boy grinned weakly when a dark green blur of energy appeared behind the Otsutsuki commanding the Six Tails. The ancient ninja didn't even sense the blow that vaporized him to ashes as Kagami had unleashed his most lethal technique.

Naruto's eyes widened in shock and awe when his childhood friend delivered a powerful kick on the head of the Six Tails making the creature roar in agony as it crashed on the ground. If not for his Mangekyo, he would have never seen Kagami flash like a green blur delivering merciless strikes all over the Biju before delivering a brutal chakra palm strike that literally sent the Six Tails flying away like a rag doll.

The King smashed his Susanoo shield straight into the One Tail's face and shoved Dawn's glowing and larger form right into the Two Tails's midsection. Both beasts screamed even as the Susanoo clad Kyuubi unleashed a powerful shockwave sending the Four Tails crashing away. All three Otsutsuki riders of those beasts did not survive the counterattack.

As he got up on his feet, Naruto ran towards the still form of Takeshi who was being looked after by Shisui while Kagami was wrecking havoc over the tailed beast squad with his unstoppable power.

Naruto could not help but be impressed by his friend to the point that he even felt inferior. Kagami didn't have the sharingan but he had the heart of a determined man. Without dojutsu or any other Kekkai Genkai, he was still able to not only stand toe to toe with tailed beasts but push them back as well.

It was because of people like Kagami that gave Naruto hope. No matter the situation or adversity, humans would always fight for what they loved.

He was not alone in his admiration of Kagami as even Shisui and Takeshi were staring at their friend with pride in their eyes.

Naruto closed his eyes on seeing half of Takeshi's body was already gone, eaten by the tailed beast. It was a gruesome and heartbreaking sight for any warrior to witness. One made even more heartbreaking when the person suffering such a fate was a dear friend.

Yet the same boy was grinning like a maniac.

"Don't...underestimate...humanity...stupid...beasts!"

Takeshi Uchiha, the hot-head of the Kingsguard died with those words with his two friends by his side. There were no cries of rage or grief, having grown up in the clan wars era had made most ninjas develop a self control over their emotions. The hurt and grief were buried deep in hardened hearts as Naruto and Shisui both gave a final cremation to the mortal remains of their deceased friend.

No words were exchanged as the two boys looked at each other and then at the battlefield.

They both barely saw more than two dozen of their clansmen still fighting on the battlefield alongside trusted allies. Yet one by one they were dying as well in face of the overwhelming enemy that swarmed them from all sides again and again.

On the other side of the battlefield another catastrophe was about to happen.

Hanzo and Mifune alongwith their Samurai cavalry had been doing well so far but that was all about to change when the Gedo Mazo charged towards them all.

Alarmed, Naruto's Susanoo ran to intercept the monster but was forced to stop when he felt the power.

One moment the King was watching the Gedo Mazo wildly charging towards the Samurai cavalry and then the next the statue was brutally slammed down to the ground by a a shadow that fell from the skies. As the dust and debris started to settle, Naruto saw a large skeleton structure with crumbling wings trying its best to hold down the Gedo Mazo.

 **"This dance is MINE!"**

A heavily bleeding Madara grinned back at his brother with a maniacal smile on his face even with his crumbling Susanoo that was barely able to hold back the Gedo Mazo.

Both brothers saw each other for the first time after what felt like an eternity.

In one's eyes there was relief, joy and unending determination.

In the other's there was worry and hesitation.

Madara saw his brother glancing across the battlefield where their people were being slaughtered on all fronts. No matter how motivated or skilled they were, the bitter fact was that the humans just didn't have enough numbers. The enemy despite their heavy losses had more than enough.

Now that the initial shock and awe of Naruto's arrival with his army was over, the Otsutsuki under their queen's command were rallying perfectly. The tailed beasts currently being held back by Kagami had already inflicted more than enough losses and would soon crush any hope for victory.

Madara made his Susanoo punch the Gedo Mazo straight in the face as the statue's struggles intensified ten fold. It was itching to get free and cause mayhem.

Not on Madara's watch.

Hashirama was engaged in a deadly duel with the enemy queen and was not doing so well at the moment.

It made Madara's blood boil when in this dire moment he saw Naruto's resolve wavering in the face of the devastating losses and mighty enemy.

 **"NARUTO!"**

The stunned king glanced at his eldest brother who glared back at him with unwavering determination in his eyes.

"It doesn't matter if we all die here! It doesn't matter what the future holds for this world! It doesn't matter if there is no hope!" yelled Madara fiercely, even as he ignited the flames of Amaterasu on the face of the Gedo Mazo making the statue scream in agony.

The eldest Uchiha vomited blood from his mouth, eyes and his numerous wounds. He had not recovered from his battle against the dragons and the enemy queen...with his wounds catching up...

He sensed the statue's power and it was more than his own. Maybe if he was at full strength...

It didn't matter.

His brother looked shaken and disheartened with the brutal death of his friend. If Naruto lost hope here in this darkest hour then they were already defeated.

"All we can do...all anyone can do...is...just...one...thing!" roared Madara in pain and anger, as the Gedo Mazo headbutted against his Susanoo making him crash backwards.

Madara grabbed the statue's legs making it crash again thereby saving hundreds of Samurai from being slaughtered. Yet the Gedo Mazo only got more angrier and started brutally kicking Madara's crumbling Susanoo.

The Hokage's command was heard not just by his brother but by every human across the battlefield.

 **"FIGHT!"**

A primal scream echoed across the land as the dragon headed Susanoo roared once more.

Tajima saw thousands of dead warriors led by many Otsutsuki officers charging towards his youngest son. Madara and Hashirama alongwith every heavy fighter were already fighting their own desperate battles. On the other side, Kagami was finally starting to slow down as his body started to fall apart from the unbearable pressure. The tailed beasts looked badly beaten but still in the fight. The only one capable enough to subdue them once and for all was one person.

Shisui's fierce cry rallied every nearby ninja.

 **"PROTECT THE KING!"**

Dozens of nearby Samurai warriors were the first to obey the command as they valiantly charged straight into thousands of dead warriors and their Otsutsuki commanders. The cavalry was very small and was instantly overwhelmed as the dead jumped over them but the intervention bought time for the ninjas lead by Shisui to intercept a quarter of the enemy forces charging towards the King.

Shisui himself lead the charge and plunged his ancestral holy sword clean through the first Otsutsuki's heart.

"What the hell are those idiots doing?" asked Daen in shock,

Tajima glanced on the eastern front where another large contingent of enemy forces were trapped in a strong barrier held by Uzumaki ninjas lead by Mikoto, Kakashi and Danzo. The three members of Madara's guard barely had four dozen allies with them and yet they had went ahead in their move to trap the enemy for as long as possible. The dead trapped inside the barrier screamed furiously as they charged at the handful humans in waves on the command of their Otsutsuki.

"Doing what is necessary" answered Tajima grimly, knowing very well that every ninja in that barrier would never survive their last stand.

"The plan-" argued Daen, receiving a sharp look from Tajima.

" _Is fucked!_ Whatever advantage we had is now gone and the enemy is surrounding us. It's fight or die! I say we give these Otsutsuki bastards all the hell they deserve!" decided Tajima,

Tajima raised his sword and charged forward with Sakumo right by his side. Even Sasuke Sarutobi joined them leading every warrior left alive to follow after the veterans.

Daen could only sigh in defeat as he charged after them.

 _"Fucking Uchihas. Always so troublesome!"_ thought the Nara head, as he and his few clansmen unleashed their shadow binding technique to trap as many enemy as they could.

Daen grinned a little when the previously overconfident Otsutsuki backed away to their rear lines when they saw hundreds of their Kaguya and Hagoromo allies be trapped first in the shadows. The handful Uchiha and Hatake still alive had nothing more left to lose as they charged forward and slaughtered dozens of enemies mercilessly under the leadership of Tajima, Sakumo and Sasuke Sarutobi.

The Nara leader heard a horrible scream and was satisfied when the rampaging seven tails that was about to pummel a dying Kagami was surrounded in numerous space portals that opened up all around it. The beast had large parts of its massive body sucked into the portal violently but before it could be absorbed quickly the portals was closed.

The seven tails was blasted to pieces unable to survive the violent exposure.

Before anyone could even digest the gruesome murder, they all saw their King charge towards a wounded One Tails that was recovering from its wounds inflicted by Naruto himself. The beast only had time to blink before the glowing sword of the Susanoo took its head off.

Naruto and Kurama both fought back their screams as they were shrouded in dangerous dark energy of the deceased One Tails. Killing a Biju in such a violent manner was bound to unleash the enormous energy stored in its form, with the Seven Tails such exposure was controlled as most of the dark energy was sucked in the portal but creating such a move again was next to impossible...

Certainly not when the remaining Biju had realized the threat and were now all charging towards the Susanoo.

 **"You call this is a fucking winning strategy?"** asked Kurama in disbelief,

''Stop whining! Besides, it was your idea to kill your fellow brothers and sisters!" yelled Naruto irritatedly, as he prepared his Susanoo again as it had cracked deeply in various spots due to the violent energy explosion caused by the One Tail's execution.

 **"It's the only way to stop them. They'll reform again in a few years but what's more important is that we need to free them from Otsutsuki control. There is no time to figure out how to undo the sealing holding them as slaves. I don't like this but it is necessary"** confessed Kurama sadly,

Naruto glanced across the battlefield where his people were paying the ultimate price just to stop the dead from getting in his way. At this rate even if by some miracle they won...there won't be anyone left to enjoy that victory.

 **"What do you need?"** asked the fox warily, the joining of Susanoo had involuntarily given him a small connection to Naruto's heart and mind. What the beast felt right now made him very worried.

 _"Help my people"_

Before the Biju could say anything the Susanoo broke their joint connection to now stand in front of it. There was a bittersweet smile on Naruto's lips even as the remaining seven Biju glared at him murderously.

He looked back at his childhood friend and this time there was no doubt in his eyes for he had made his choice.

"For a long time my people have believed your kind to be nothing but destruction and source of power. Now that opinion will only worsen, if there is to be any hope for man and beast to live together in harmony...then you must create that hope. For all of us" requested Naruto,

Kurama could only glance at his friend with even more sadness in his eyes as he realized what the boy was doing.

 **"Naruto, I.."**

" _No_. You _**will**_ do this. It is your mission from me. To be honest, I have failed on many fronts and yet my brother is right. All I can do is _fight_ for the future of my people. I couldn't save my daughters but for the sake of my unborn son...I will give it my all so that one day he will have a world to live in" decided Naruto, as he made his Susanoo raise its sword.

Kurama glanced at the battlefield and saw dozens of skirmishes where his assistance was desperately needed. Together, he and Naruto were a powerhouse but the need of the hour was for them to split up and save as many as they could.

His friend understood it better than Kurama ever could, yet it did not stop the beast from giving the young king a warning glare.

 **"If you get yourself killed-"**

Naruto smirked as the tailed beast charged at him all at once.

"Wars are won by killing your enemy. I intend to do just that...albeit much more _smartly'_ '

Kurama tensed when with those words Naruto charged forward in his powerful Susanoo. The Biju were all approaching at dangerous speed with menacing balls of energy already being formed in their mouths to vaporize the king once and for all.

The fox was quite surprised when Naruto made his Susanoo glow so brightly that it momentarily blinded nearly everyone on the battlefield.

Including the tailed beasts.

By the time the light finally died down two more screeching sounds were heard and Kurama alongwith every person on the battlefield were left speechless when the monstrous Susanoo beheaded the Two and Three Tails with its ethereal sword. The two beasts were dead before they even realized what hit them. The sudden execution released a sea of dark and poisonous energy but Naruto had already opened several dark portals that were sucking away that energy thereby saving any nearby humans from a gruesome death.

Yet even with four tailed beasts now dead, there were still another four left and they were mad.

Kurama flinched when the Four Tails bit Naruto's Susanoo from behind even as the Five Tails and Six Tails slammed their massive tails on the Susanoo's exposed flanks. The Eight Tails delivered a series of devastating strikes with its tentacles and the Two Tails jumped in the air before delivering a roundhouse kick over the Susanoo's head.

The Nine Tailed fox saw his only human friend scream in horrible pain as he was swarmed and attacked from all sides.

He was about to disregard his friend's prior order and go to his aid when he saw Madara's Susanoo crumbling rapidly. The eldest son of Tajima was on his final legs and was the only thing standing between the mad Gedo Mazo and the Samurai cavalry that was fighting under Hanzo and Mifune.

If that cavalry was wiped out then the battle would definitely be over.

It was one man's life against those of thousands.

Kurama's gaze connected with Naruto and he saw the boy give him a firm nod even as the tailed beast holding him started forming Bijudama all around him.

Tears fell from the Biju's eyes but he steeled himself and turned away from his friend.

Naruto grinned weakly when he saw Kurama roar and charge straight towards the Gedo Mazo. The ghastly statue felt the approaching power and was met with the sight of the Kyuubi jumping at him. Both beast and statue crashed gracelessly on the ground crushing the bodies of hundreds of dead. Madara despite his injuries saw the golden opportunity and charged ahead.

The First Hokage stabbed his Susanoo sword right inside the Gedo Mazo's chest earning another terrible scream. Yet to the Uchiha's surprise the statue didn't fall apart but only cracked.

Madara grimaced as he now understood the sole way to defeat the statue once and for all.

Without the statue the Otsutsuki would be badly affected. Madara didn't know much about their plan but he knew this statue was vital to their mission. Most of all it was a power that could destroy the human army.

It had to be destroyed.

But it was too ancient and strong.

It could not be killed by a man.

Yet the same was not the case for a beast.

He now knew what he had to do.

He glanced at his trapped brother one last time even as the young king was about to be evaporated in a series of Bijudama. Their gaze met and it was at that moment Madara gave a grim smile to his brother who returned the gesture.

The First Hokage looked at the Nine Tailed Fox who probably knew what Madara wanted.

Somehow the last words he said to Tobirama before his death was all Madara could think about and were the ones he said to the Biju before him.

"For our people''

Kurama saw Naruto open up a massive dark portal all around him just as the Tailed beast around him launched their final attack.

The King was vaporized right before Kurama's eyes just as the remaining tailed beast were sucked into the dark portal.

Tears fell from the Biju's eyes as he started to form its own Bijudama and set eyes on his final target.

Madara trapped the Gedo Mazo completely with the crumbling form of his skeletal Susanoo.

For the first time, the statue started struggling rapidly as it saw the Kyuubi forming its largest and most lethal Bijudama. It glanced at Madara only to see the Hokage smile at him victoriously.

It saw the young Uchiha utter something just as they were consumed in a Bijudama.


	37. End of an Era

**Thank you for the support. Hope you continue it.**

 **Chapter 37**

 **End of an Era**

* * *

Tajima knelt before the wounded man lying before him. By all accounts he should be dead, yet by some miracle Madara was still breathing. His pulse was weak and he was barely hanging on to life, but his heart still functioned.

Looking in front of him, Tajima knew the reason behind Madara's survival even after being hit by a Bijudama.

 _The Young Dragon._

It still felt unreal for Tajima to even think of the powerful warrior king that his youngest son had become. A boy who had nothing went on to unite the world, brought nations to their knees and now was all that remained between humanity's extinction.

The same boy who had defeated tailed beasts on his own yet was now missing one of his two powerful eyes.

A power he sacrificed for the sake of his brother.

Shisui had torn off a piece of his own attire and made it a rough eye patch that now covered Naruto's blind eye. Yet even with one eye there was a fire in the young king's eyes as he glanced at the few thousand of his people that had survived the bloody carnage of a battle.

The enemy army had shattered and fled the moment the Gedo Mazo was destroyed by the Kyuubi's Bijudama. The enemy's last hope which were the tailed beast were sealed in dark space by Naruto himself. The King would have died himself had he not used one of the Uchiha's most costly but effective techniques to alter reality.

 **Izanagi.**

Naruto had been one of the handful Uchiha who had fully read the Uchiha tablet that had the secrets of that technique inscribed on it. He used that power to not only save himself but also his brother while ultimately destroying the Gedo Mazo and making the remaining tailed beast free from the Otsutsuki's grasp.

One of his Mangekyo eyes was the price for that and Tajima could not help but admire his youngest son's resolve.

The enemy queen, on realizing that her most powerful trump cards were no longer existing had cut her losses and fled with as many of her minions as she could. Many among the remaining human army wanted to follow but Naruto had forbidden it.

The same king now watched his last brother and Hashirama sleeping side by side. Both men were badly wounded, one fighting the Gedo Mazo and the other against the enemy queen. It was Hashirama alone who kept the Otsutsuki queen engaged and forced her to retreat by injuring her but it costed him dearly.

Breaking the Otstusuki army costed even more terribly.

Naruto looked at his people and grimaced when he saw less than half of his army still alive, and only a quarter of those were in any fighting shape. Rest were either too injured, tired or defeated to raise their weapons again.

"What are your orders, my king?"

He looked at Shisui for a moment before his gaze settled on Mikoto as she stepped beside him. Having recently learned of her brother's demise she was bottling her emotions quite well in hopes of extracting vengeance from the one ultimately responsible for Takeshi's death.

"Lord Tajima"

The Uchiha patriarch glanced at his son and stepped towards him. With Sasuke Sarutobi dead and Sakumo alongwith Daen Nara wounded, also with Hashirama and Madara incapacitated it left Tajima as the most senior commander after the King.

"What do you need?" asked Tajima seriously, but his eyes were full of pride as he looked at his son.

"Consolidate our remaining forces and retreat to the Land of Lightning. Link up with my wife and reorganize our army" commanded Naruto without blinking an eye even when nearly everyone glanced at him in shock.

"We are winning, my king" insisted Tajima fiercely, even a bit heatedly but Naruto didn't waver.

In fact, the king looked downright heartbroken.

"I am winning battles...but I am _losing_ this war" confessed Naruto, his voice barely above a whisper but Tajima heard it nonetheless. Glancing at the remaining human army and the condition they were in, he understood what was going through Naruto's heart.

"We are with you. In life and death" promised Tajima, earning a grim smile from his son.

"I appreciate that but the real aim is for our race to _survive_ this war. The enemy is most likely going to flee to the Land of Water. It is their stronghold that has never been invaded. With the state of our forces, it'll take us years if not decades to replenish our numbers and strength to invade that place. And then too we are most likely to be defeated, the enemy is expecting us to chase after them blindly and will most probably organize a full guerrilla warfare for us. They'll bleed us slowly until we die a slow and painful death" explained Naruto harshly,

Kurama saw the fear and hesitation in many eyes as most of the humans had heard terrible tales about the Land of Water. Most of all, Naruto was speaking the harsh truth.

The human army didn't have the strength or will left to invade a place like the Land of Water.

"Then what do you suggest? That we let them get away? Let them amass another army?" asked one of the few surviving Uchiha,

Shisui glanced at Kagami's dead body while Mikoto remembered Takeshi. Both Uchiha kept their silence but still looked at Naruto who was maintaining his cool even when others around him weren't.

"If we fight this war their way...then we will lose. We will **_not_** do it their way" declared Naruto icily, daring all the people around him to oppose him. He smirked when Kurama growled making even more men flinch away, added that to his killing intent there was not much room left for disobedience.

"You have a plan" deduced Tajima, earning a nod from his son as he glanced at the lone Otsutsuki prisoner that was being held captive.

"Every warrior should abide by their oaths. A king most of all should set an example, protecting this kingdom and its people is my responsibility. I intend to do just that" said Naruto fiercely,

The King then turned around to march straight towards the lone prisoner making others follow after him. The sole Otsutsuki warrior glared at the approaching young monarch hatefully but flinched when Naruto grabbed his throat and lifted him in the air. The man struggled for air but Naruto looked him in the eye.

"Leave...me..."

To the Otsutsuki's and everyone else's surprise, Naruto released the prisoner and threw him several feet away.

Surprised, the Otsutsuki looked up when Naruto stepped forward and knelt to look straight in his eyes.

 _"Tell your queen...Fire and Blood will come to her lands. 15,000 humans will invade her home to see if its really impenetrable"_ whispered Naruto fiercely,

The pale eyed warrior flinched away from the lone dark red eye glaring at him. He could feel the dark power and pent up rage burning inside this man and could only imagine the havoc he would cause in the Land of Water when he invaded with his remaining army. While the Otstusuki queen was yet to be defeated, she had lost a massive chunk of her forces and her greatest trump cards. With Kimimaro gone as well, the situation was extremely fragile.

Still, the ancient warrior glared at the young king before him.

"Few victories mean nothing" cursed the Otsutsuki bitterly, earning a tiny smirk from Naruto.

"It's better than the ass kicking your faction just received"

The Otsutsuki gave one final glare but soon enough fled as fast as he could without another word. When Naruto turned back to face his people he saw most of them were not happy with his decision to let the Otsutsuki run away but none dared to raise their voice.

Certainly not after what he did to the tailed beasts.

He placed his hand over the eye-patch covering his lost eye that he sacrificed. It felt weird to just be able to see with one eye but it was a price he would pay a thousand times again if it helped to save his brother's life. When he arrived at this battle, he had seen a small glimpse of the loyalty that Madara had gained from many ninjas due to his actions in this war.

Madara was a good leader, a bit stubborn and prideful but one who actually cared for the people under him.

His brother would never admit such a thing outloud but his actions were more than necessary to prove it. In that manner, Madara was better than Naruto.

 _How can I call myself king if I cannot even defeat the enemy who butchered my people and world?_

The truth was that his forces were in no shape to invade any nation much less a place like the Land of Water. It would take months just to gather supplies for such a campaign not to mention he needed more men which he simply didn't have.

Most of all, he had no shred of intel on the layouts, defenses or the number of enemy waiting for him and his army in the strongest bastion of the Otsutsuki.

He gestured towards Shisui who nodded and requested Tajima, Mikoto, Hanzo, Mifune and the few high ranking officers still alive to follow towards the city.

As the leaders started walking away and the remaining humans started burning the dead or helping the wounded, Kurama came beside the young king.

 **"What is going through that head of yours?"** asked the fox with a sigh, as he noticed an all too familiar look on his sole friend's face.

"We cannot invade the Land of Water, because if we do then we are _finished_ " admitted Naruto, earning a sharp look from the beast.

 **"That's not what you said to your freed prisoner"** pointed Kurama, and got a nod from the boy in return.

It was then Kurama blinked as he realized some of the things that Naruto was planning which made him look at the boy with skepticism and curiosity both burning in his eyes and heart.

Before the fox could voice his opinion, he saw Naruto wordlessly walking forward to kneel before the bodies of his friend. He sat there and simply observed the body before him even as Kurama came beside him.

The beast growled at the nearby soldiers making them run away very quickly and was saddened when he saw tears falling from Naruto's lone eye. Death was not something new in this brutal world yet even so there were a few people who had cared for this boy regardless of his past or status.

Looking at the deformed corpse, all Kurama could see was a human who died for his race by sacrificing all he had.

But one look at Naruto's grief ridden eye was enough to show what the boy was to the lone eyed monarch.

The King's entire body shook with rage and grief as he gripped the hands of his dead friend. Takeshi was already cremated while Kagami had aged completely due to using the Eight Gates and was now nothing more than a husk that would soon vanish from this world.

It was a gruesome sight even for someone like Kurama to witness.

 ** _"I'll...annihilate...all...of...them...will...hunt...down...and...butcher...every...single...one...of...those...bastards...even...if...it...is...the...last...thing...I...do"_**

If the fierce hatred and grief in Naruto's voice was not proof enough of his anger then the level of desire for revenge in that lone dark red eye was more than enough for Kurama to understand that the Otsutsuki queen was going to be hunted down until either she and her minions were dead.

Or...

Kurama dismissed that thought as he looked at Naruto. Such a disaster was not an option, one that the beast would never allow even at the cost of this entire world.

As the flames of Amaterasu started consuming the remains of the Kingsguard member, Naruto stood still as a rock with tears falling from his eyes as another one of his friends departed from this world.

* * *

Shisui observed Mikoto from the corner of his eyes. The girl was silently sitting in a corner surrounded by several dozen more ninjas on all sides. Her eyes were a picture of grief and shock...

Takeshi was the only family she had left in this world and now he was gone, even his death was not painless. Shisui knew better than most that offering her comfort after that tragedy was probably the last thing Mikoto needed right now.

How was he supposed to console her when he himself was yet to come to terms with the death of his two friends?

For as long as he could remember, Kagami and Takeshi alongside Mikoto, Naruto and Itachi had always been by his side. They were a team...and now two of them were just gone.

Being a senior officer in the army was forcing him to control his emotions lest he instill further chaos among the men, but it could not stop the grief and anger from overcoming his heart. Nor could it stop his trembling hands that wanted to choke the very life out of the Otsutsuki queen's body.

Thankfully, Tajima had rounded up most of the elite ninjas that had survived the battle and were in any condition to fight. Nobody knew what was going to happen next...nor did any of them wanted to find out.

Months of fighting and losing one's loved ones had left most fighters tired and sad. Most just wanted to stop and mourn their losses but Shisui knew there would be no peace for anyone unless the Otsutsuki were annihilated from the face of this world.

He looked up when he saw Naruto walk towards them with the Kyuubi by his side. A small whispering started among the crowd of 1000 people as the king stepped before them all. While the battle had ended in victory for humanity, the amount of loss suffered had not left any room for rejoice. More importantly, the enemy leader was still alive and many had already seen her power. As long as she lived, there would be no peace for mankind.

"What are we going to do now, King Naruto?"

"You cannot possibly think of invading the Land of Water? We are in no shape for such an invasion!"

"Do you have any idea about how many we have lost to this war that you started?"

"You promised us victory yet our people are still dying! Our lands are destroyed!"

"What kind of a King are you?"

"Where were you when the Land of Fire was invaded? Where were you when they butchered our families, our homes, our friends?"

Tajima was hardly able to believe the amount of anger and accusations being laid at his son. He looked at the boy who was silently taking it all in without a word, the only thing stopping the crowd from attacking the king was the fox's presence. Yet even the Kyuubi was not enough for people to spill out their anger at their leader.

The truth was that humanity was never ready for a war like this, certainly not against a power like the Otsutsuki.

No matter how strong or powerful a King could be, they would not survive this war without heavy losses. Yet Naruto had tried his best to save as many as he could, but the harsh truth was that humanity had still not achieved victory even after losing more than half of its population.

Humanity was in a lot of pain and anger...all currently being vented out on its current leader.

The screaming and accusations went on for longer than Tajima was comfortable with, but his son just stood there and heard it all. It was only when the fox growled did the angry humans stop their shouting.

"Is that all?"

Many in the crowd flinched and stepped back when Naruto's lone Mangekyo glared at them coldly.

"It is true that this war has been the most devastating that humanity has ever endured. We have lost so much and suffer more everyday, yet we are slowly inching towards victory as well. Every sacrifice puts us one step more closer towards victory. The reason we could not achieve victory till now is...because we are _weak_ "

Shisui grimaced as even he knew those were not the words the people wanted to hear right now. They would have erupted in even more fury had the Kyuubi not been present to keep them in check. He saw Naruto looking at them all and in the king's eyes there was nothing but cold determination.

" **Thousands** have died following my command in this war. _More_ will continue to die...and that is the reality" confessed Naruto,

"What do you think we are? We're not disposable pawns!"

"No, you're not. But each and everyone of you is a _warrior_. The best humanity has left to offer...so I ask you to follow me one last time" urged Naruto,

He saw hesitation and fear present in many faces until one man stepped out of the crowd. It didn't take the king more than a moment to recognize the man as Nagato Uzumaki, the now recovered and acting leader of the Uzumaki clan.

"What kind of plan do you have in mind, my king? You saved my people when we needed help, my clan will follow you to hell itself if you want us to" promised Nagato sincerely,

It was not just Nagato, but his sister Mito Uzumaki and all their remaining clansmen who nodded at their leader's words before looking at Naruto. It was enough to silence the remaining crowd as they pondered over the new development.

Kurama saw Naruto give a grateful nod to the Uzumaki. Who could have known that Naruto's sincere decision to help the Uzumaki would prove so crucial for him in this hour? The Uzumaki were one of the finest that humanity still had to offer and each and everyone of them had fought the Otsutsuki longer than anyone else as they were the first to be dragged into this war. Their help was not something to be taken lightly and it was a fact that not even the other angry ninjas could dismiss.

"I know that currently our army is in no shape to stage an invasion across the Land of Water. But the fact remains that the Otsustsuki need to be stopped, no matter the cost" said Naruto,

"How can we do that?" demanded one of the many ninjas,

"No army has been able to conquer the Land of Water and that fact will not change. That leaves us with only one choice..."

Kurama glanced at his friend and trembled when he saw the cold look in Naruto's lone eye.

 _"We wipe out Land of Water from the face of this earth!"_

Not a single person in the crowd had expected such a resolution by their leader. Even a cold hearted man like Tajima was left gawking as he stared at his stoic son. He could understand wiping out enemies, even entire clans and whole armies...

But Naruto wanted to destroy an **entire continent...**

Not only was it impossible but simply out of understanding of the ordinary human.

"We destroy the Land of Water and destroy _every_ Otsutsuki and their allies once and for all. It is a drastic move but under our current circumstances, humanity is left with no other choice" confessed Naruto honestly,

"How?" asked Shisui hesitantly, as even he didn't know how that was possible. No human including Naruto himself was capable of such a feat.

"I have a weapon that will destroy the entire continent. I will kill the Otsutsuki queen _personally_...all I need is men willing to follow me into that hell" said Naruto frankly,

"You all are the best that humanity has to offer. I cannot take an entire army to the Land of Water, so I made the enemy believe otherwise but in truth a small elite force should be enough for this final strike" announced the king,

"What is this weapon of yours that can cause such massive destruction? It can't be the fox because even he cannot wipe out an entire continent!" pointed Mifune calmly,

"I cannot say"

More than one in the crowd flinched or growled at the King's flat refusal to divulge the identity of his secret weapon. For his part, Naruto stared at all of the people present before him without batting an eye despite their furious looks.

"You are asking us to risk our lives and follow you into that hell? Invade a continent that we have never seen in our lives or have any solid intelligence about? And yet you won't tell us the weapon we are supposed to risk everything over. Is that correct?" questioned Hanzo flatly, and was surprised when Naruto just nodded.

"Don't you trust us, my king? We have fought and died for you!" accused several ninjas,

"For the success of this mission, I will not divulge this information. It is possible the enemy may have infiltrated their spies into our ranks. I have read reports of creatures named Zetsu that are capable of taking on the perfect appearance of another person. Maybe one of them is currently hiding among us and we still don't have a way to identify them. I have already risked a lot by revealing my deception to the enemy, I won't say anything more"

"This is the situation and the odds are not in our favor. Make no mistake, _most_ of us if not all will **die** in this mission. To be honest, I am asking you to commit suicide. I cannot even guarantee as to whether we will succeed or not, all of you have followed me faithfully and have sacrificed so much. It is why I won't punish or force anyone to be a part of this but I request you to stand and fight for humanity's future one last time" confessed Naruto,

Pin drop silence swept over the area as the reality of Naruto's plan started to sink into the elite fighters of humanity. As he looked at the fighters, Naruto could only imagine what could be going through their hearts and mind. He had not even bothered to summon the ordinary ninjas and fighters for they were not suitable for such a mission, even for the elites standing before him it was going to be a difficult choice.

 **"You were too upfront about this, Naruto. They'll al leave without you ordering them to join you!"** whispered Kurama disappointedly, only to receive an understanding look from his friend.

"There comes a point when people stop caring about orders or about anyone else. This war has brought us to that point, I have already asked all I could from my people. They have lost friends, family, their homes, even their very lives. Now I am asking them to do something that scares even me. _I am asking them to die...the least I can do is give them a choice_ " answered Naruto calmly,

 **"I really don't understand you sometimes, baka"** sighed Kurama, making Naruto smirk.

"Does that count as a yes?" asked Naruto with a smirk, earning a tired sigh from his beast friend.

 **"You ask as if I have a choice"** grumbled Kurama,

The beast and the king grimly watched as dozens of people started leaving. Soon those dozens were joined by many others until it was hundreds of people leaving now that the king had given them a choice not to participate if they didn't want to. This war had made most people reach their breaking point and now all they wanted to do was rest.

But there were others who remained steadfast and stared at their king.

One of them was Mikoto whose harsh and cold eyes burned with nothing but hatred for the Otsutsuki. She was one of the many who had lost everything in this war and wanted nothing more than to burn the ones who took her family from her.

There were other loyalists like Shisui who had stood by Naruto no matter the situation. This situation was not any different as the leader of the Kingsguard only gave a small smile to his friend which said all that needed to be said. Tajima beamed with hidden pride when he saw the last of his clansmen not leave and instead they all gathered around Shisui. The same was the case with most Senjus and every Uzumaki who too stood their ground despite knowing the odds. The three great clans that descended from the Sage of Six Paths were on the verge of extinction, yet they were standing together for the first time in history.

For men like Hanzo and Mifune, it was a matter of choosing the way that would save their people. They both looked at the king and then at each other before sharing a nod. Watching their leaders standing their ground was more than enough for the honor bound Samurai to stand behind them as well.

Long minutes passed as hundreds of humanity's best walked away until only a small crowd remained.

Naruto stared at the _245_ brave souls that had found the courage in their hearts to stand and follow him into hell itself. It was not to say that they were not afraid...but quite the opposite. Yet these same men, women, and even teenagers were standing their ground. He spotted so many familiar faces that gave him some hope.

Shisui, Mikoto, Nagato, Mito, Hanzo, Mifune, Kakashi, Danzo, every last surviving Uchiha, Senju and Uzumaki alongside so many others.

Tajima watched as a small smile arrived on his son's face.

The King stepped before the 245 souls and looked them all right in the eye.

 _"Then let's hit them where they live"_


	38. The Will of Fire

**Thank you for the support. Hope you continue it.**

 **I'm really sorry for the slow updates but work and personal life barely leaves anytime for me now to write. But I won't quit writing no matter what because I love this and I promised that I would finish this story. So these final chapters might be a little long or short depending upon what time I have, just give me sometime to finish this story properly. I won't rush anything even if it takes a few more days to write the next chapter.**

 **Chapter 39**

 **The Will of Fire**

* * *

(Four Weeks Later)

Tajima carefully stepped inside the tent occupied by his son only to see his child currently surrounded by his advisers while they all looked at the rough map of the Land of Water. He waited and simply observed his son listening to the suggestions while offering some of his own every now and then. There was so much focus and determination in his hardened eyes that made Tajima proud and sad at the same time.

Proud of the man his son had become and sad for all that he had endured and continued to endure in this war.

The past few weeks had not been easy either. The Land of Fire was completely devastated by the Otsutsuki, majority of the population was dead or missing, there was large scale destruction of critical resources and there was acute food shortage. A phenomenon the residents of this nation had never thought possible. Already two minor rebellions from the civilians had to be forcefully put down as the people blamed the only one they could for their misery.

 **Their King.**

 _The King who lost his kingdom._

Tajima felt his blood boil everytime he heard people whispering such things about his son every now and then. The ninjas and fighting men understood just how difficult it was to defeat the Otsutsuki, but the civilians were another matter. They had never faced so much hardship and pain before, it had gotten to the point that many even believed that being ruled by the Daimyo was far better than letting Naruto be their leader.

Yet despite all this scorn and mayhem, never once had Tajima seen his son waver in any manner.

The boy had tried his best to maintain the peace among humanity while doing all he could to stem its suffering. But the scale of destruction and misery that the Otsutsuki had left behind was too large for any man to eradicate alone. Even so, Naruto had continued pushing forward while also preparing his 245 men for the final assault on the Land of Water.

Tajima looked at the nine people currently standing around his son, warriors who had proven their worth on the battlefield and had chosen to follow their king into hell itself. The Uchiha leader was not surprised to find Shisui, Itachi and Mikoto be present because for as long as he could remember these kids had always been by his son's side. He still remembered the moment when Itachi returned to join the rest of the army alongside the queen. The boy had been saddened when he learned how Kagami and Takeshi's death in battle but had wordlessly joined Naruto when told of his plan to assault the Land of Water.

Kakashi Hatake and Danzo Shimura were sons of loyal Uchiha bannermen so it was no wonder they too followed after their King. The two boys were good fighters but more importantly they could lead men into battle.

The Uzumaki siblings, Mito and Nagato were also given leadership roles with Tajima having the feeling that they were going to play a crucial part in Naruto's plan.

Last two members were Hanzo and Mifune, the most experienced warriors among the entire force that was going to invade the Land of Water.

"We put up the decoys here, here and here. Armed units acting as a fog screen to make the enemy focused on the coastal front" directed Naruto, as he placed his finger on some of the key areas serving as landing zones of the Land of Water.

"A sound strategy but one bound to be discovered sooner or later. Even if we make the decoys engage the enemy in full force, they will get wiped out easily. Then the ruse will be up, my king" advised Hanzo, earning a nod of consent from Mifune as well.

"And then the enemy will know we're there..." deduced Itachi,

"We'll be ambushed by their entire remaining army" added Mikoto grimly,

"If that happens then even with our elite force and the Kyuubi will be at an added disadvantage. The enemy will have numbers, the knowledge of the terrain. Combine that with the power of their queen..." realized Kakashi, some hesitation already creeping into the young boy's voice as he looked at his one eyed king.

"It is a _suicide mission_. As the last elite warriors of humanity, we must be willing to take all risks including the sacrifice of our lives for the future of our race" emphasized Danzo fiercely, his dark eyes demanding the same level of conviction from the older warriors in the room.

Tajima didn't miss the tiny smirk that graced Naruto's lips as he stared at the son of Tobi Shimura. That particular clan had always been Uchiha loyalists and were one of the most fiercest group of warriors. And while they were yet to produce shinobi of the same caliber of the Uchiha and Senju, their fighters had a sense of determination and purpose greater than either clan.

Madara had recognized the same talent when he recruited Danzo in his personal guard and the Hokage's youngest brother also saw the talent which Danzo Shimura had.

"But still..." said Mito hesitantly, but was cut off when Naruto stepped forward and laid a hand on Danzo's shoulder.

"Well said, Danzo. It is exactly as you believe which it is why I appoint you in charge of the Defense Unit that shall protect the Special Operations Team" said Naruto proudly, as he placed a piece across the map surrounding a structure that Tajima couldn't decipher.

Whatever it was, it could be significant to the success of this entire mission as Danzo visibly paled on realizing the responsibility being laid on him.

"My King...I...am...not...worthy...of...this...honor...I'm...not...the...strongest...man...for...this...task" said Danzo nervously, earning a faint smile from the monarch.

"No, you're not. But you are the most determined and fiercest ninja in this room, and I can see the desire to win in your eyes. While most of us in this room are worried about the odds, the countermeasures and whatnot, you are only focused to achieve _victory_ at all costs. I respect that conviction and it is why I believe that you can do this task. However, the question here is not that you're worthy or otherwise...but will you do it?" asked Naruto calmly,

Tajima saw the young Danzo glance at the map for a few brief moments before looking back at the king with an unwavering sense of conviction and fierceness.

"I will defend the Special Operations Team until my dying breath and even after that" promised Danzo,

As Naruto smiled and gave a proud nod to Danzo, there was another person that caught Tajima's eye. The said boy had clenched his fists so tightly and there was great turmoil visible in his eyes. But soon enough, he too stepped forward and knelt before the king.

"I request you to assign me the command of the Decoy army. I will buy as much time as I can for all of you by keeping the enemy engaged" requested Kakashi,

"Kakashi, do you know what you're asking for? You're the only son that your father has left. With the Hatake clan all but wiped out, it is imperative that you come back from this mission alive at all costs" advised Naruto patiently, and saw a faint guilt visible in the young boy's eyes.

"My brother Ken vowed to defend Madara-sama and our nation at all costs. When the time came, he sacrificed himself without hesitation. I couldn't even move back then but he acted and died for what he believed in. _For Honor_ , I never truly understood my clan's motto but I think I understand it now. It is why I must do this...more than that I am the only one who can do it. The strongest in this room must help the king eliminate the Otsutsuki queen" explained Kakashi sincerely,

Tajima watched the slight tension that came on Naruto's face as he looked at Kakashi and then at the ships stationed near the coasts of the enemy nation. That entire coast was full of enemy figures and Tajima's years of experience made him realize what leading the Decoy Army meant.

Sakumo was badly injured, and his eldest son Ken had died protecting Madara in their first encounter with the Otsutsuki. The Hatake clan was all but wiped out save for a handful members including Kakashi's sister, Kiara. Entrusting Kakashi with this responsibility could only lead to one outcome for the boy and Naruto knew it.

So did Kakashi if the conviction mixed with resignation that was clearly visible in those eyes.

"It's a true shame when the young ones of today try to overestimate themselves. Boy, it will take real skill and experience to keep the enemy focused with the Decoy Army for long. While you have guts, you are _not_ fit for this task. Stay by the king's side and protect him at all costs. **I** will lead the Decoy Army" declared Mifune calmly,

"But-" argued Kakashi, however he was forced to stay silent when Naruto raised his hand.

"Kakashi, you shall help Danzo in protecting the Special Operations Team. Mifune, you shall lead the Decoy Army. That is my _final_ decision" concluded Naruto,

Danzo placed a hand on Kakashi's shoulder and took him backwards as the king gave a firm but thankful nod to the veteran Samurai commander. Tajima didn't miss the gratitude in his son's eyes for Mifune which only earned a short nod from the older leader.

"Nagato and Mito shall lead the Special Operations Team. I entrust the success of this plan to the Uzumaki clan" said Naruto seriously,

"We will do all that we can, however time will be of great essence if we are to succeed" cautioned Nagato,

"I agree" said Mito, earning a grim nod from the king.

"Noted. Hanzo, you shall command the majority of our forces and lead the _Vanguard_. Engage and eliminate any additional forces that Hinata Otsutsuki might have at her disposal. While I, Shisui, Itachi, Mikoto alongside the Kyuubi will go ahead to eliminate the Otsutsuki leader and her top officers." commanded Naruto in his composed but firm tone,

The chorus of affirmative but grim nods received by the king was more than enough to portray how tense the situation was.

"You can come in now, Father"

Tajima blinked and saw his one eyed son now staring at him with a faint but amused smile. The rest of the group offered short bows to the two Uchiha's before making quick exits. As Tajima stepped inside, he saw the dark shadows beneath his son's eye. His skin was becoming more and more pale courtesy of his lack of sleep.

"How are the preparations going?" asked Tajima silently,

"As well as they could be. It's only thanks to the information I managed to glean out of the one Otsutsuki prisoner I freed that we even have an idea about their homeland" answered Naruto hesitantly,

"Don't underwrite yourself, Naruto. What you did with Kakashi was a sound choice, the Hatake clan is on the verge of extinction. As their overlords, the Uchiha will forever bear shame if they go extinct. More than enough clans are already gone" lamented Tajima,

He stopped when a firm hand was placed on his shoulder and was even more surprised when he saw a melancholic smile on his son's face.

"Don't dwell on it, Father. You'll regret it" advised Naruto calmly,

"But-" protested Tajima weakly, but was silenced when Naruto looked at him with a smile Tajima had long thought lost.

"If you regret it, then it will consume you. Take it from someone who has lived a life full of regrets...I couldn't save my mother, my brothers, my beloved aunt, my friends, my kingdom or my people. If I look at my failures then all that is left for me is eternal darkness, yet all I can do is move forward as best as I can. I don't know if my choices are right or wrong nor can I change the past, all I can do...all anyone can do is just...Fight till their dying breath" explained Naruto patiently,

"How...can...you...after...all...that...has...happened?" asked Tajima hesitantly,

"It's because I made a promise to Izuna" confessed Naruto, a far away look ever present in his lone eye.

"Izuna?" questioned Tajima,

" _Be...happy...little...brother_. Those were my brother's last words, his last wish. I owe it to him, to give it my all to be happy so that his death does not go in vain. All my life no matter what pain came in my way, I never gave up not because I didn't want to. There were so many times when I thought death would be better, but even dead...Izuna gave me the strength to face life head on even till this day. I will never give up so that one day I can achieve that happiness for which my brother gave his life"

A small smile came on Tajima's face as he saw shadows of his three dead sons standing around his youngest son.

"Humanity is not finished yet, Father. As long as even one of our people keeps on fighting...the war will never be lost. Nobody knows what the future holds yet I ask you to believe in me one more time and I will save our people. _I promise_ " said Naruto confidently,

Tajima nodded without hesitation and watched as Naruto went into the other corner of the tent. The Uchiha patriarch bit his lip as he wondered whether to tell his son about the fate of Shizuka and the two unborn children. This issue had troubled Tajima for weeks as the small band of survivors whom had fled to the Uchiha's secret island had cut off all communications with the outside world. It might also be possible that they all perished on sea or were discovered and murdered by the enemy.

Naruto had already made his peace with the fact that his unborn children from the priestess were dead, he never talked about them but the pain was easily visible in his eyes.

 _"Should I really give him hope only to snatch it away later on? I don't know which is more crueler, keeping the fact that his children could be alive or tell him the truth only to discover they have perished?"_ thought Tajima worriedly,

Tajima couldn't help but feel trapped and guilty which was why he approached his son once more even as the young king was busy sharpening his ancestral sword.

"Naruto...there is something I need to ask you. It's a bit... _personal_ " stated Tajima hesitantly,

Naruto didn't miss the nervousness on Tajima's face and couldn't help but feel a little wary as this was far from the normal behavior of his father who was always stern and composed.

"Tell me" encouraged the young monarch,

"You never told me about...the priestess"

Tajima cringed when for a moment those words hit his son like a lightning bolt eliciting an extremely pained look which was soon replaced by barely concealed remorse.

"Madara told you?" asked Naruto quietly,

"No"

The king blinked and looked up at his father in surprise. There were only a handful people who knew about Shizuka and the unborn royal children she was carrying in her belly.

"You know something and I would like to be briefed _right now_ " stated Naruto tersely,

Tajima flinched again on the commanding tone but it was the intense gaze of that lone eye that made the Uchiha patriarch hesitate. But in the end, he had to take a decision and face the consequences that followed.

"It all happened..."

Naruto listened without blinking as Tajima revealed the fact that how the Uchiha men that Madara had placed around the holy temple laid down their lives and managed to evacuate Priestess Shizuka to Castle Tsukiyomi. He went on to even reveal the fact that Shizuka alongwith hundreds of refugees were further evacuated to the Uchiha's secret island.

Tajima didn't hide anything and even confessed that he had kept this fact from Naruto because they had not received any communication from the survivors on that island and he didn't want to give Naruto any false hope.

"I'm sorry to have kept this secret from you, Naruto. I...just..." confessed Tajima hesitantly, unable to meet his son's eyes.

"Thank you, Father"

Tajima blinked in surprise and looked up to see a lone tear fall from Naruto's eye, yet there was a relieved smile present on the king's face.

"Naruto..."

Tajima was even further surprised when Naruto gave him a firm hug, one which the father returned as he wrapped his arms around his youngest child.

"You saved them despite knowing their very existence can destroy our clan and this fragile kingdom. The old you would not have understood what they are to me...but you have changed, Father" said Naruto happily, earning a tiny smack on the head in return.

"Of course I did, _baka_. **They're my grandchildren!** Besides, this war has taught me a lot, but most of all watching your journey through life has changed me. I cannot change the past which is why I will do everything in my power to protect my family. As long as I and Madara live, nobody will harm those children. _I promise_ " answered Tajima,

Naruto gently broke the hug and Tajima was glad to see an happy smile on his child's face.

"I know. To be honest, Tsunade will also slowly come around to this reality and with Hashirama's help we might be able to make the Senjus accept the same" suggested Naruto,

"They better because we're not giving up on my grandchildren-" warned Tajima seriously,

"Naori and Hikari''

Naruto smiled as Tajima took a step back on hearing those words. It took the older man a moment to understand and even longer to open his lips to speak but no words came out. However, the swarm of tears that came in his eyes and his trembling hands said all that was in his heart.

"Naruto, you-" whispered Tajima in a choked voice,

"If they are girls, we will name them after Hikari who gave me life and Naori who gave me the strength to live life. And if they are boys and since they'll only be two of them, then we will name then Izuna and Inashiro (Inabi and Yashiro) who were my beloved brothers. That is my choice" said Naruto with a smile,

Tajima was left speechless even as tears continued to fall from his eyes, and all he could do was bow before this child and his unwavering spirit.

"Yes, my king" promised Tajima humbly,

Naruto smiled as he placed **Dawn** at his hip and started walking towards the outside where a world full of challenges and threats awaited him. And yet, his smile never wavered.

 _"Leave the future to me, Father"_


	39. No Regrets

**Thank you for the support. Hope you continue it.**

 **If everything goes as per my schedule, this story will be finished by September end as I'm making it my priority before going back to finishing my remaining projects.**

 **Music: The Way (Instrumental) by Zack Hemsey {You can find it on Youtube, it goes well with this chapter)**

 **Chapter 39**

 **No Regrets**

* * *

Tsunade sat in the open field atop the soft grass observing the shining moon in the sky. If she looked below the walls, she could see the residents of the Capital were trying to restart their lives. Thanks to Lord Tajima's command, the capital had not been breached by the Otsutsuki and the damage to the city was minimal. It was also the last bastion for the survivors to take shelter in because of the availability of food, shelter and the protection of thousands of soldiers.

She had not been a part of the battle that happened here, to be honest a part of her felt glad for it because many good warriors died for the victory achieved here and another part felt angry for she could have saved many of those warriors if she had been present.

But that choice was never hers to make and her husband had deemed it fit to not include her in the battle.

Just as he had decided not to include her in his Mission to destroy the Land of Water.

She understood why he was doing that, but it didn't make it any easier for her to stay behind while he risked his life. They had argued over it for so long that they stopped talking to each other for the past few days, even Tajima's attempt to make them reconcile failed.

Instead Naruto had kept himself busy with the preparations for his mission while Tsunade diverted her focus on taking care of the wounded, including Hashirama and Madara who were making a slow but definite recovery from their grave wounds suffered in battle.

The distance created between them was not something either of them liked but both were stubborn enough not to concede and attempt for an understanding. In that manner, their Uchiha and Senju blood made them act even more opposite.

She froze when she felt another presence enter the garden she was currently sitting in, and that familiar aura only served to remind her that she had married in this very same place.

Tsunade watched as her husband came beside her to gain a seat but not long after he sprawled himself comfortably across the soft grass. A small luxury the overworked king could afford at the moment.

"You okay?" he asked, with a gentle smile that only served to make her even more confused with her emotions.

"Have you thought about my suggestion of sending someone else to lead this mission? You are our _King_ , we need you here" insisted Tsunade, her hazel eyes burning with worry and hidden anger.

He sighed and got up to face her and cupped her cheeks tenderly.

"I wish I could but there is no one else strong enough. I cannot wait for Madara and Hashirama to get back to full strength because by that time the Otsutsuki will come back for vengeance" he explained, never once losing his cool.

"What of this child then?" she asked solemnly, and he couldn't stop the guilt flooding through his heart on seeing her hand placed upon her growing belly.

If only he could tell her how much he wanted to be by her side, to watch their child be born and grow, but for that to happen he had to fight. He had to be strong no matter how much it hurt.

"Have you thought of a name?" she asked in a soft voice, her hopes and dreams bear for him to see.

"I haven't...yet. But if I can suggest something else..." he said hesitantly, but was relieved when she gave him an encouraging smile as she took his hand and placed it upon her belly.

"You're his Father. You can tell him anything" she said kindly with a smile, earning a surprised look from him for that statement.

" _His?_ Are you sure?" he asked uncertainly, making her chuckle.

"If the strong kicks I usually receive are any indication...then _yes_ " she confirmed happily, which brought a warm smile on his face which greatly pleased her as well.

Tsunade watched him intensely stare at her belly with such happiness in his eyes which made her own worries about his upcoming mission fade just for now.

"I haven't thought of a name for you yet...but I will do everything in my power to give you the world which your mother and I never had. You will never have to take up arms as soon as you can stand..." whispered Naruto,

"You will never fight meaningless battles and endure the horrors that we went through..."

Tsunade clutched his own hand over belly as memories of the clan wars era came rushing back in her heart. She looked into his eyes and saw he too remembered that time.

They both remembered their first battle, of facing each other, of the fear that had threatened to consume them, the horror and agony of watching their siblings be cut down before their very eyes, the pointless of that bloodshed.

"You will never have to suffer the way we did..."

 _She lost a brother that day...he lost three._

"You will never have to fear being alone in this world because you will always have people who would do anything for you" he pledged,

She felt his loneliness and could only imagine the burdens he carried his entire life. As a Kinslayer...and then as a King.

"You will grow up with friends in times of peace and enjoy a life free of terror. And I know it deep in my heart that one day you shall surpass me, that you will be a far better man than I could ever hope to be and no matter what...know this..."

He looked right into her eyes and this time there was no doubt in his gaze.

"I love you"

Tsunade froze even as her eyes widened in shock on hearing him say the words she had wanted to hear from him for so long. She waited for him to waver but he never did and continued looking into her eyes and even smiled.

She kissed him fiercely even as tears slipped from her eyes and he returned the gesture with equal passion.

"You...mean...it?" she asked breathlessly between kisses, and swelled with even more happiness when he sighed in defeat.

"Not at first. But you are quite stubborn, if I may say..." he said with a slight chuckle, and blushed when she narrowed her eyes at him dangerously. Still, he didn't falter because he wanted her to know the whole truth instead of saying only what she wanted to hear.

He owed her that honesty.

"What changed the way you thought about me?" she asked hesitantly, afraid and eager at the same time for his answer.

"You fight for what you believe in with all your heart, I came to respect that strength. You stood by me despite all the trials we faced, you accepted me for the person I am but most importantly never allowed that to stop you from giving me the right advice. When I was a new king full of hesitation, you became the friend I needed. You proved yourself a better person than me when you accepted the existence of my unborn children with Shizuka, you saved my friendship with Kurama by giving me the right advice even if it meant becoming the attention of my misguided anger. You are carrying my child and even now I see a desire to protect my life in your eyes...even before I confessed my love for you. You are the most frustrating, stubborn woman I have ever known...and I love you for that" he confessed shyly with a faint blush tinting his fair cheeks.

"I never thought you'd feel what I feel for you..." she confessed hesitantly, but her tearful smile negated any doubts from arising in her husband's heart.

"I'm hard to please" he whispered,

"What was that?" she asked sharply, earning a nervous chuckle from him as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Nothing. It just takes me sometime to get to know people...a childhood habit" he said with a nervous laugh, which made her sigh.

"You really think we have no other choice?" she asked worriedly, and saw his smile disappear to be replaced by an iron gaze full of determination and conviction. It always amazed her how quickly he could go from being her friend to being her king.

 _"We have to"_

She bit her lip in worry even as her hands found his and she looked him right in the eye.

"Then do what must be done"

He gave her a grave but determined nod in return.

* * *

Tajima sat in the vast room alongside the bed where his eldest son was currently sleeping. Watching Madara's erratic breathing and painful groans made the lord clench his fist. It pained him to see his strongest son be reduced to this pitiful state and his only solace was the fact that Madara suffered so much pain in the defense of his people.

Tsunade and the other medical ninjas had somehow managed to save the Hokage's life but it would be weeks, if not months before Madara recovered from his grave wounds. Naruto might have saved his brother by sacrificing one of his eyes, but even before that Madara had suffered critical wounds that would take time to heal.

Tajima observed his only other living son also present in the room observing the vast city beneath them from the lone window. Snow fell like heavy rains from the skies blanketing the crimson lands in a strange but distinct beauty, but for the Uchiha family it only created another set of problems.

"It's finally here..." whispered Naruto, as he caught a few snow flakes in his gloved hand.

"How fares the city?" asked Tajima, and if the grim expression on his son's face was any indicator then the answer would not be to Tajima's liking.

"We're holding for now. However, we are falling short of every critical resources, when the Otsutsuki lost the battle they fled but not before pillaging the remaining of our farmlands, granaries, water lakes and even destroying whole villages. I've got more than a 100,000 humans spread across these lands...but not enough food, water, and most importantly shelter to protect them from the cruel winter" said Naruto bitterly, his worry open for Tajima to see.

"You must send riders to search for resources, no matter how far or we'll face a riot very soon" warned Tajima, even as Naruto clenched his fists.

"The Land of Wind never had much resources to begin with and due to this war it's almost a wasteland now, The Land of Whirlpools is still under enemy occupation and in ruins, I have sent search parties to seize every resource available from the Land of Earth and Land of Lightning but it will be weeks before they return. Till then, we have to keep the peace" explained Naruto,

"Then can't you wait to restore order to your subjects before marching towards the Land of Water?" asked Tajima, but deep down he already knew the answer much to his disappointment.

"I can't. Right now the Otsutsuki are believing that they'll face an invasion and are preparing for the same. If we delay, they might see through our ruse and come back again to our lands. And this time...we don't have the strength to stop them. I have to do this if humanity is to survive past this winter" emphasized Naruto,

"Then let me come with you. I may not be as powerful as the Otsutsuki queen, but I can lead your men" insisted Tajima, which earned him a soft look from his son.

"I wish I could take you, Father. But with Madara, Hashirama, Sakumo and Daen gravely injured, you are my last capable supporter who can look after these people. Protect our people, no matter what" commanded Naruto,

Tajima lowered his head accepting the command but also relenting to his son's wish.

He saw Naruto step away from the window and walk towards his sleeping brother's bed. The King stood at the edge observing his only living brother fight for his life. It was hard for him to see Madara in this state but never once could he doubt that Madara would not pull through. It would take a lot more than the Otsutsuki to put Madara down.

He could already imagine his brother getting back on his feet and still be eager for a good fight against the Otsutsuki. It brought a smile to his face, something which Tajima didn't miss.

He sat on the bed and gently grasped Madara's hand. For a few moments, he waited as if expecting Madara would recognize his touch and wake up from his sleep but the bitter truth was that the Hokage had broken most of his bones, his internal organs were a mess that Tsunade was trying to heal, but most of all the severe loss of blood had directly hit his brain rendering him in this state.

The fact that even Hashirama was in a similar state did not ease Naruto's worries, for if the Otsutsuki queen could do something like that to Hashirama Senju...then she was a force to be feared.

And he had to kill her.

She had done this to Madara, to Hashirama, and to all of mankind.

Gently caressing his brother's hand, he looked at him with conviction in his eyes.

 _"I will kill them all, Nii-san. I promise"_

Tajima was surprised when Naruto grabbed Madara's personal gunbai from the corner of the man's bed as he got up and turned to face Tajima.

The Uchiha lord was surprised when the king took out a sealed parchment from his pocket and presented it to him. Wordlessly, Tajima took it and as he read through the contents of the royal decree he was left shocked.

"Are you sure about this?" asked Tajima hesitantly, the rational side of him knew it was a wise move but the part of his heart that worried for his son knew exactly under what circumstances would this decree be carried out.

"Fight for the best. Hope for the worst" advised Naruto with his usual cocky smirk, but Tajima saw right through him.

"You are our King, our people chose you" reminded Tajima,

"And I will serve them with all my power. This makes sure that they are still cared for no matter what" insisted Naruto without hesitation, earning a resigned nod from his Father.

"Then let's pray that I don't have to enforce this decree under any circumstances" said Tajima, his unspoken command easily recognized by his son who hugged him.

Tajima placed his hands around his son's back and hugged him back.

They slowly parted ways after a few moments but not before looking each other in the eye and nodding.

Tajima watched the king march out of the room and never look back once.

* * *

(Land of Water)

 _"Tell your queen...Fire and Blood will come to her lands when 15,000 humans will invade her home to see if its really impenetrable"_

No sooner were those words said did the entire courtroom erupt into chaos. It was important to note that the two dozen men and women in this room were the last remaining Otsutsuki and were ones who were far older than any human alive today...and yet after that declaration they just heard, many were angry, some were nervous and only a few were silent just like the woman sitting at the center of the room on a simple throne.

She surprised her people with her smile.

"My queen..." said one of her subordinates in surprise, unable to believe she was taking this threat lightly.

"Fear not, Keiji. I am well aware of the threat but it simply amuses me that the boy king thinks he can defeat us with his pitiful army" said Hinata Otsutsuki calmly,

"We may outnumber him but we must not forget that he is dangerous" warned Shinzo Otsutsuki, he was one of the few of his kind to survive an encounter with the Young Dragon. Shinzo had followed Lord Kimimaro and their victory had been all but assured with their gigantic army but when Naruto Uchiha slaughtered Kimimaro...the battle was over.

Thousands of their dead thralls were slaughtered, hundreds more from the Kaguya, Hagoromo and Otsutsuki also fell that day.

And that was not taking into account the thousands more they had lost during their most recent defeat.

"Naruto Uchiha is just a child with some luck" dismissed Hotaru Otsutsuki in her rich but soft feminine voice, earning a nod from their queen.

"He maybe a child but it does not change the fact that he has _won_ almost every battle he has fought" argued Hiro Otsutsuki, he was the only one of his kind that was taken prisoner after the battle at the Fire capital...and was the only one who had directly looked into Naruto Uchiha's eyes when the king had promised vengeance for what was done to his people.

Hinata Otsutsuki was surprised to see her clansmen divided for the first time in their history. Even in their war with Indra and Ashura, they had not lost faith until they were utterly crushed. She got up from her seat making the rest of them stand up as well out of respect.

In silence, she walked towards the balcony of her palace from where she could clearly observe the sprawling city beneath her. It had taken her a long time and effort to rebuild the Land of Water after their defeat in the last war but she had never given up.

It had taken even more effort to persuade the other minor human clans to follow her leadership by citing the unstoppable threat that would arrive on Earth in the near future.

It had taken so many years to build the army of dead...so much hard work, so much patience...all of that undone by one man.

More than a year ago, she had marched out with her entire army to conquer the human race and in time make them ready to face the entire Otsutsuki clan when they came to destroy Earth. She had everything in her power to achieve victory, yet the humans had resisted her fiercely.

She had thought them to be weak and divided until the Uzumaki proved them wrong. Just when she was about to annihilate them for their insolence, the Dragon King defying all her expectations...came to their aid.

Hinata had watched him fight valiantly on the battlefield, no matter the foe he faced he never gave up and fought with everything he had. It was his bravery and fierceness that inspired all those humans to keep on fighting. In that aspect, he was a very good military commander whose battle tactics had resulted into the deaths of thousands of Otsutsuki armed forces.

More terrifyingly, Naruto Uchiha had managed to unite the human race under one banner...a task deemed impossible to achieve.

He had defeated Kimimaro in single combat...another feat deemed impossible.

Despite everything, Hinata found herself becoming more curious about this human to the extent that she now wanted to face him herself and see if he really was the man people thought that he was.

Her clansmen had gathered around her and together they watched their own army residing in the city.

"I want to win this war and the way I see...it can only be achieved if we _kill_ The Young Dragon. Tell me how we can make it happen" instructed Hinata firmly, earning nods from her people.

"My queen, he has already lost one of his Mangekyo which has weakened him" informed Hiro, having already seen the one eyed king in person. He was pleased when that bit of information relived some of the tension his clansmen were feeling.

"Don't be so complacent. Not counting the Kyuubi, he still has four tailed beasts in his control...we made a terrible mistake when we lost them" warned Shinzo bitterly,

Even their queen acknowledged that threat with a nod, it had been a terrible blow when Naruto captured those tailed beasts in his space time dimension. Hinata could not deny the man's bravery of facing four of those monsters at once and his ingenious when he captured them with a smart move further weakening the Otsutsuki army's strength.

She looked at two of her subordinates specifically. Kimimaro had strength but he was arrogant enough to underestimate the boy-king and as a result he lost his head. But the same could not be said for the man's followers, Shinzo and Hayate.

Both men were veterans of countless battles, Shinzo's self awareness and ability to understand the enemy was an invaluable trait...while Hayate was a silent man, a proof being his stony silence during this entire conversation but on the battlefield he was a different person...one who had no fear.

"Shinzo, what do you think the Young Dragon really intends to do?" asked Hinata curiously, earning a thoughtful look from her clansmen.

"I think he's _partially_ bluffing, my queen. He may have 15,000 men but those are the last fighters of his race...if he takes them all to assault the Land of Water and loses...then his race is doomed. If I know the Young Dragon, he would not be so foolish to leave his people defenseless in case of his defeat" advised Shinzo honestly,

"So he's even a bigger fool if he's bringing an even smaller force to attack us" mocked Hotaru, but froze when Hayate gave her a stony glare.

"What is it, Hayate?" demanded Hinata, as she saw the man had something on his mind.

"Shinzo is right, the Young Dragon is upto something nasty. He is smart enough to understand that he cannot conquer these lands even if he had a massive army at his back...so what options does that leave him with if he wants to win this war?" asked Hayate calmly, as he looked at his queen and fellow clansmen.

Hinata's eyes slightly widened in surprise before a soft smile came on her lips.

 _"He's really bold"_ she thought with hidden admiration,

"He wants to kill me" answered Hinata, earning a grave nod from Hayate and surprised looks from the others.

"We'll kill him before he even reaches anywhere near you, my queen" promised Hotaru murderously, but was surprised when her queen shook her head.

"If I know him...then he has already planned his move for such a counteraction from us. I _will_ have to face him" answered Hinata,

"My queen..."

Any other protests died instantly when those icy white eyes glared at them all.

 **"I will face him, and I will look him in the eyes...and then I'll take his head myself"**

She was satisfied when all her clansmen silently accepted her decision with nods until she looked directly at Shinzo and Hayate.

"Shinzo, I leave the command of our forces to you. Hayate shall lead them in the field with the others supporting you both. Do _not_ fail me" commanded Hinata coldly, as both men knelt in front of her respectively.

"I'll take command of our forces and reinforce our coasts just in case if the Young Dragon is foolish enough to follow through with his threat of an invasion. We will crush his army before they even set foot on our lands" promised Hayate mercilessly,

"See that you do" ordered Hinata,

"I will oversee the deployment of hidden forces across our territory to prevent any infiltration bids. Hotaru, Hiro and the others shall command the respective squads. Together, we will stop the Young Dragon from reaching you my queen" promised Shinzo confidently,

"He will reach me despite your best attempts" countered Hinata with a knowing smile, as she remembered the Uchiha's teleportation ability.

"We will stop-"

She dismissed any false promises with a sharp look at her clansmen.

"I will deal with him _personally_. Just make sure to stop any of the other human forces from interfering. Am I clear?" she demanded,

"Hai" they all chorused in unison,

She gave a final nod which was enough for her clansmen as they quickly left to carry out their assigned tasks leaving her alone to observe the city beneath her.

If she was being honest, Hinata found herself actually anticipating the upcoming battle. Naruto Uchiha had defied all her expectations and was an extremely unpredictable military commander which only made it more enticing for her.

 _Let's see what you can do...Young Dragon._

* * *

(Land of Fire)

Tsunade heard the monstrous city bells ring loudly even as the morning rays of the sun slowly started to grace the snow covered lands. Around her, she saw almost the entire city was awake with almost every human presently watching the small army waiting at the city gates.

On the other side, a small fleet of ships full of warriors were also leaving the docks under the command of one veteran samurai leader.

She saw Lord Tajima calmly staring at the 245 men and women currently dressed in battle armor and mounted upon the few wooden horses take positions behind the young one eyed boy sitting atop a massive fox with numerous tails.

Tajima watched Shisui approach the king...

"My King, Mifune has departed with the fleet" informed Shisui, earning a nod from the king.

"It's time then, Shisui" was all the king said, before he looked at the squads guarding the gate who instantly nodded and went to work.

As the massive city gates started to be opened, Naruto allowed his lone Mangekyo to activate and create a massive dark portal right outside the gates.

 **"GET READY!"**

Shisui's bellowing battlecry was heard not just by the troops following him but also half the city as the King's Army commander looked at the 245 men and women.

They were a mixed group of people, starting from young boys and girls to veterans of war, from noble Samurai of the North to the Fierce fighters of the Land of Fire and so many more. It was a strange but beautiful picture of humanity being united, ignoring the clans or nations or ideologies these people belonged to.

Shisui looked at his own two friends, Itachi and Mikoto who nodded their approval as he unleashed his sword making their small army do the same.

 _"Let us show the true power of humanity to the Otsutsuki bastards!"_

The deafening roars of approval and victory given by the fighters echoed throughout the entire city bringing small smiles and faint hopes in the defeated hearts of the people. Maybe these warriors would succeed where all of mankind had failed...it was all anyone could hope for.

Naruto caught sight of Nagato Uzumaki placing a hand on his sister's shoulder in comfort and whisper something that made the worried Uzumaki female smile.

That sight alone brought back painful memories for the king as he was reminded of a boy lost long ago. It also reminded him of another older boy whom the king dearly wished to be present here...but couldn't.

But then he looked at his three friends who smiled at him which brought back some of his lost confidence. He then looked at Kurama who gave him a feral grin earning a slight chuckle from the king in return.

Finally, Naruto glanced at his father followed by his wife; both of whom gave him proud smiles.

He looked at his wife's belly where his unborn son was resting. He remembered the promise he had given and it gave him the strength to unleash his sword and turn to face his men.

His lone eye caught sight of the royal palace where Madara was resting before he turned back towards his men.

He found himself at a loss of words, so he chose to say the only thing that felt right to him.

 _"For Humanity"_

A thundering battlecry was unleashed by each and every warrior as the king mounted atop the fox turned forward towards the gates and the awaiting dark portal that would take them to a place from where no man had ever returned.

Yet the king fiercely raised his sword as the fox started galloping towards the space portal without fear.

 **"CHARGE!"**


	40. Land of Water, Part 1

**Thank you for the support.**

 **Now that we have entered the final phase of this story, I would request my readers to be just a little more active (Kind of want to know how many of you are still alive)**

 **Music Recommendation for this Chapter: Shingeki no kyojin OST- So ist es Immer (1st Half of chapter, find it on Youtube)**

 **Shingeki no kyojin OST- Rittai Kidou**

 **Chapter 40**

 **Land of Water, Part 1**

* * *

(Coastal Zone: Land of Fire)

Mikoto sat alone in the cold night watching the borders of their small camp, as was her duty. All around her the lands were bathed in snow and the air was full of cold breezes, the only comfort being the presence of the shining moon in the sky. If she looked below the hill where she was currently sitting, she could see her comrades resting in their makeshift tents and relishing the last few hours before their inevitable battle.

In the heavy silence, the Uchiha warrior could not help but reflect how her life had changed in the past one year.

Not so long ago, she had been a part of the infamous Kinsguard whom many feared and hated but for her it was the one place she had always belonged. She had friends there, comrades who respected her, a brother who worried for her safety everyday and a man she had loved with all her heart.

A year later, her brother who was her only family was dead, one of her closest friends had too perished and the man she loved had disappeared from her life.

She had fought and fought for so long only to realize that most of the things worth fighting for were long gone from her life.

Revenge was all that kept her going...

She had to make the Otsutsuki pay for what they did to her brother, her friends, her comrades, her family, and her world.

In a way, she was glad to be a part of this suicide mission and could care less if she survived or not...because that would be a relief against the harsh loneliness that would await her if she actually did.

If only she could go back in time, if only she could have saved her brother, if only she could have been with _him_...

Her thoughts were disrupted and she was alarmed when someone placed a hand on her shoulder from behind, how the person crept so dangerously close without her knowing? She was about to go on the defensive when that familiar voice relaxed her instantly...

"A beautiful night, don't you think?''

She turned to face the King who gave her a warm smile taking away a lot of the pain and guilt she was feeling just moments before. It pained her to see him staring at her with just one eye but she would take that over anything worse anytime.

"Yeah, it is" she whispered solemnly,

He surprised her when he brought forward his hand holding two steaming cups of instant ramen. She looked at his smiling face for a few moments before a sweet laugh escaped her lips. Of all the things in the world, of all the times, only he could do something so strange...yet endearing. Her eyes twinkled with joy and gratitude as she accepted his small gift by taking one of the cups from him which made him smile again.

They both sat there in that peaceful silence eating that delicious ramen while glancing at that beautiful sky. It was all Mikoto could ask for right now, to have her best friend by her side in this hour. Even if he was the king of the elemental nations, never once did she feel him to have changed. Her old kind but annoying Naruto was still there somewhere, hidden underneath mountains of duty and worries.

"I miss this" she confessed without hesitation, unable to recall the last time they had spent such a peaceful time together.

Now that she thought about it, they had always been at War due to the never ending conflicts between clans. It was always one battle after another, one threat after another...

"I miss you"

His sincere but heartbreaking words caught her offguard and one look in his eyes showed that he too felt something for her.

"You're married now and a soon to be Father..." she reminded him, despite how much she wanted to take him in her arms and forget the past year had ever happened.

He too knew that as he nodded truthfully but did not stop himself from grabbing her hand gently.

"I know. But you are important to me and it pains me that I couldn't be there for you when you needed me most" he admitted, voice full of guilt and shame.

"You are a King responsible for more than just one person's well being. Besides, I can take care of myself..." she tried to say, but he would not listen.

He lifted his hands to gently cup her cheeks and looked her in the eyes. She fought back the lump in her throat as her own hidden feelings threatened to consume her when she was this close to him...

"I am truly sorry for Takeshi. I failed him...and I failed you" he confessed, wanting to make her understand that he had not forgotten his failure of not being able to save her only brother.

"We are _shinobi_ , Naruto. Death is a part of us and Takeshi died because he wanted to protect his people. He died for his king...it pains me to be without him but I don't hold anyone but the Otsutsuki responsible for his death. Give me my vengeance...that is all I ask" answered Mikoto seriously, much to his own sorrow.

"I promise. But I will also ask something of you in return" he said, as she raised one of her eyebrows in curiosity.

"What is it?'' she asked,

"Once we return from this mission, I want you to find your own happiness. You will not wallow in grief anymore than necessary..." he said sternly, earning a short smirk from her.

"Is that an order?" she asked amusedly,

"If it has to be" he countered stubbornly,

"You say that as if any of us will actually survive this. Be honest with me...we're not coming back, are we?" she asked him in a resigned voice, and was surprised by the determined gaze of his.

"You will. As shall Shisui, Itachi, Kurama and many others. I will make sure of it" he promised fiercely,

"You say that as if it's so easy" she whispered, her heart wanted to believe him but her rational mind knew their chances were very low.

"I want to go home..."

She looked at him understandingly as she saw the longing ever present in his lone eye.

"I want to see my wife again..."

She gave him a pained smile at that statement knowing that despite all the odds, Naruto had come to care for Tsunade if the look in his eye was any proof.

"I want to see my children be born and grow peacefully in this world. I want my father and our people to rebuild their lives again, I want to be there for my brother. Most of all, I want to be the king our people wanted...it is these things that keep me going, that make me want to fight regardless of the odds. Because this is my home...and I will never stop fighting for it" he promised,

She grasped his hand gently offering him a warm and proud smile. It was just yesterday when she still remembered people calling him a Kinslayer, the center of everyone's loathing including that of his own clan. Yet he had kept on fighting facing his own success and failures.

Mikoto laid her head on his shoulder as she glanced at the sky and felt him relax as well.

"I'm proud of you"

She felt him squeeze her hand and the lone drop that fell on her head told her all she needed to know.

She held on to him and he did the same for her...and it was enough.

* * *

Nagato Uzumaki sat in the shade of a tree with his sister by his side, a comfortable silence present between them which was much needed as both siblings were well aware of their crucial role in the upcoming mission.

If they failed in their task, then everyone would die.

Their King, their comrades, their clansmen, and ultimately humanity.

It was a heavy burden to bear but they had taken it up knowing there was no one else better suited for this task.

Nagato heaved a tired sigh as he thought back to how long had this war lasted. His clan had been the first to face the Otsutsuki and had all been wiped out and Uzu was in ruins. It pained him to remember of how he had failed his people...his father would be so disappointed in him.

And now a man like him was tasked with the responsibility of saving the entire world. If not for Mito, he didn't think he could have even agreed to bear such a great burden.

He glanced down their camp to see the king himself sitting among a group of Samurai. It was a well known truth that shinobi and samurai never got along but this war had diminished much of that. When there was a choice between siding with the living or the dead, the choice was pretty much simple for most humans.

Still, it felt strange to see the Samurai actually chuckle at something Naruto said and eventually even the king smiled at his own unknown joke.

"Strange days these are, brother" commented Mito with a peaceful smile,

"That they are"

Both siblings were not surprised to hear another voice speak, having already sensed their approach a few moments ago but that did not stop them from looking up at Lord Hanzo who was the defacto leader of the Samurai alongwith Mifune.

The older warrior was keenly watching the king interacting with the Samurai and Mito didn't miss the satisfaction in his eyes.

Yet it also raised another important question which she needed to ask this man.

"What made you and your men follow the king in this mission, Lord Hanzo? My clansmen are with him because he fought for us when no one else did. You had a choice not to follow him" reminded Mito curiously, and saw even Nagato was intrigued by her question.

Salamander Hanzo stared at the young Uchiha boy currently engaging his men in a friendly sword fight. The King was battling four Samurai who were some of Hanzo's finest swordsmen and even then the older man could see how his men were being toyed with.

"Samurai have wanted peace to prevail in this world, for the weak to be protected, for the wicked to punished. We value honor and loyalty above all else" said Hanzo quietly,

"But you are a shinobi, Lord Hanzo" reminded Nagato, earning an amused look from the older man.

"A man does not have to be necessarily be a Shinobi or Samurai to fight for justice. You have to look down deep into your own heart and determine the kind of person you want to be. I maybe a shinobi to you and a Samurai for my men, but all I am is a person willing to fight for his beliefs" answered Hanzo calmly, making Nagato blush in embarrassment of his stupid question.

Surprisingly, it was Mito who caught the greater meaning behind Hanzo's words.

"You see these same qualities in the King, don't you?" asked Mito knowingly,

Hanzo looked at the Uzumaki woman with a curious gaze but gave a nod of confirmation before focusing back on Naruto as he just disarmed two of his opponents, knocked down another and outmatched the last. Instead of looking smug, the king actually offered his hand to the samurai knocked on the ground much to the men's surprise.

"He fights for what is right and does not hesitate even if it endangers everything he holds dear. I'm not saying that all his decisions have been right but it does not change the fact that he truly cares for all of humanity. In him, the Samurai see a hope for a peaceful existence with the shinobi for they have found Naruto Uchiha to be an honorable man" answered Hanzo honestly, earning a knowing smile from Nagato and Mito as they all glanced at the Young Dragon walking across the camp interacting with all his men and it did wonders to improve the morale of the warriors knowing that their king shared their worries, considered them someone he could spend time with but still remained brave and determined.

Mito had only one reply to that...

"Perhaps he is..."

* * *

Naruto sat in his tent surrounded by three of his oldest friends. He saw Shisui calmly sitting in his chair sipping sake from a small cup while Itachi stood in a corner glancing at the map of the elemental nations, while Kurama dozed in the corner. Mikoto had been tired and had decided to get some sleep telling the boys to have some last man-to-man moments before the mission commenced.

Yet Naruto could still not forget that the room was short of his two other friends...ones he would never see again.

There were many people who admired him for he had won almost every battle in this war, they thought him invincible and maybe he was on the battlefield...but he had paid dearly for those victories.

He had lost Naori, Kagami, Itachi, most of his clansmen and a large portion of his army. Not to mention the thousands of civilians who had perished without anyone knowing.

Even the Senjus had lost Tobirama and Itama, so many of their clansmen. Many minor ninja clans had gone extinct, some ancient ones like the Hatake were down to their last members. So were the Uzumaki...

He had to succeed here or else they too would soon become history.

He was surprised when a cup of sake was offered to him and saw his best friend smiling at him knowingly. He shook his head, but Shisui placed the cup before him regardless.

"What am I drinking to?" asked Naruto, his curiosity peaked.

"To the end of this war" toasted Shisui, as he raised his cup earning a skeptical look from Itachi who approached his two friends.

"Don't be so overconfident, Shisui. We might have a great plan but the enemy still outnumbers us 4 to 1 and we might not just survive this" warned Itachi frankly, and was surprised when Shisui shrugged calmly surprising even the king.

"Then we die. All I know is I'm going to do everything in my power to defeat them, I really can't see the future so I try not to worry too much" answered Shisui with a chuckle, making Naruto smile as well.

"A luxury not all of us can afford" grumbled Itachi, but Shisui shrugged the comment off and forced Itachi to sit down beside them offering him a similar cup of sake.

They both saw Naruto grin before picking up a stray paper and throwing it right at the fox.

"Come on, lazy fox. We're having fun" invited Naruto,

Kurama snorted and went back to sleep making Naruto's eyebrows twitch while his friends laughed at the blatant insult suffered by the king; but then again the fox had always been moody to begin with.

However, the king also knew which button's the beast didn't like to be pushed on.

 _"Chicken"_ whispered Naruto not too loudly, but enough for the fox to open his eyes with a dangerous glint.

The Kyuubi got up on all four and walked towards the boys. When he finally reached their side, Itachi and Shisui glanced at each other before looking back at the king and the fox.

 **"You do know these stupid drinks won't have any effect on me like it has on your weak bodies"** scolded Kurama,

"It's called participating, _dumb fox_ " mocked Naruto, earning a snort in return.

 **"I have better things to do"** mumbled Kurama,

"Like sleep your ass off? _Lazy!_ "

Shisui and Itachi watched in mild curiosity as Naruto and the fox went back and forth with their silly jibes. It pleased them to watch their friend smile and if it meant his worries and guilt were being set aside for now then it was worth bickering with the fox.

Finally, Kurama begrudgingly consented to take part in the _"Stupid Human Activity"_ and was challenged to a full battle of sake. The king grinned triumphantly as he poured a small amount of sake into Kurama's large mouth...

At first nothing happened but a second later all three boys burst out laughing when Kurama spewed all the sake he had just gulped and glared bloody murder at Naruto.

 **"What kind of god awful _shit_ is this?"** asked Kurama angrily,

"It's called _alcohol_ , fox" deadpanned Itachi with a smirk, inwardly surprised at the beast's reaction but enjoying it nonetheless.

 **"It tastes like shit"** grumbled Kurama, earning a teasing look from Shisui.

"You'll get used to it. It's honestly surprising someone as ancient as you hasn't tried alcohol before..." commented Shisui dryly, making Kurama's eyebrows twitch.

 _"I'm not Ancient!"_ hissed the beast,

"Stop pestering the poor beast" said Naruto calmly, earning reluctant nods from his human friends and a grateful one from his beast one.

Kurama glanced at the laughing boy before him and could not help but remember how they had met. The boy had been a child back then but one so different from the others. While most grown men would have shit themselves on finding themselves accidentally facing the Kyuubi...this boy had not just stood his ground.

But he had fought back.

He had kept faith in his family even when Kurama had berated them, he had promised never to tell anyone about Kurama's existence and he had honored that promise for as long as possible.

Thinking about the great many battles they had fought together brought a warm feeling in the Biju's heart, one which was reflected by the soft smile on the king's face.

They had been through a lot but they were still friends which was all that mattered.

It was why he looked at the other two boys in the room seriously.

 **"If the plan fails, I don't care how many have to die but you two will get the king back to safety. As for the Otsutsuki, I'll stop them for as long as I can"** instructed Kurama fiercely, surprising both Shisui and Itachi.

Kurama watched Naruto get up from his seat and tensed expecting the boy to lash out in anger but instead he simply knelt beside the beast and placed a hand on his head.

"And why is my life so important than those of others?" asked Naruto gently, earning a sharp glare from his oldest friend.

 **"You're the king! The people-"**

"Will get another monarch if I die. It maybe my unborn son or Madara or Hashirama or some new system entirely, but the world will not stop. However, it will cease to exist if we fail here. My men have put their faith in me, my people are looking at me to save them from this enemy. So I shall fight and win, no matter the cost!" answered Naruto pointedly,

"Same goes for us as well, fox. We stand by our king" said Shisui honestly, earning a respectful nod from Naruto.

Kurama looked at Itachi hoping the rational boy would see the reason why he was making such a demand, but was sorely disappointed when Itachi nodded at Naruto instead of the fox.

"I appreciate your concern, Kurama. But we are fighting for the survival of this world and I know our chances of winning are bleak...but we cannot lose hope. We _cannot_ give up" urged Naruto, even as he saw the worry in the fox's eyes.

Shisui and Itachi as well as Kurama saw the king stand back on his feet and look at all of them with unwavering determination ever present in his eyes.

"All of you have been fighting by my side for as long as I can remember. They say I never lost any battles in my life but I could only do that knowing that I had people like you by my side. Each of you is worth a thousand of the dead thralls the Otsutsuki queen commands, I'll take you over an entire army everytime"

Shisui smiled and Itachi smirked while Kurama could only stare at these young boys curiously.

The beast could not understand these humans sometimes, unlike them Kurama was immortal. He was energy and that could not be killed. They could seal him, they could twist him but they could never truly kill him.

But these humans were mortal and yet they thought so differently than him.

Even in this dark hour, he just had to cast one glance at Naruto which was all that would be needed to restore his faith that humanity still had a future despite the odds against them. Maybe it was what the Sage of Six Paths saw in them no matter how far these creatures went astray from the old man's dreams.

He looked at his friend one more time...

 _You are looking at a future I cannot even see...you always have._

Naruto looked at the fox for an answer hoping the beast's concerns were allayed. He waited as Kurama clenched his jaw before looking him in the eye without hesitation.

 **"I will help you defeat those bastards"** promised Kurama,

The king smiled at him as Shisui and Itachi got up as well.

 _"Together...all of us"_

* * *

 **(Three Days Later: Land of Water)**

Hinata Otsutsuki stood at the coasts of her land observing the approaching fleet floating the three headed dragon banner on its masts. It was an armada comprised of war galleys, merchant vessels and even medium sized cogs. It would seem Naruto Uchiha had used every available resource at his hand to march his army.

Her pale white eyes could easily see the thousands of warriors on those ships, waiting to bring carnage to her lands.

"That crazy bastard actually did it. I never thought he would be foolish enough to march his entire remaining army into a death trap" whispered Shinzo, one of her top two commanders.

She glanced at her other commander and saw the man keenly observing the enemy fleet start to spread out.

"What do you see, Hayate?" asked the queen calmly,

"He is spreading his ships, most probably he plans to disembark his forces across multiple points to pierce through. My queen, I think it's a ploy meant to let us disperse our strength. I suggest we consolidate our forces and wait for him to come to us. We still outnumber him almost 4 to 1" advised Hayate honestly, earning a sharp glare from his fellow commander.

"I think not. We don't know what tricks they are upto. We cannot let them infiltrate our lands at any cost. My queen we need to stop them on the beaches" implored Shinzo earnestly, hoping she would see reason.

She bit her lip pondering over both suggestions. They were both right and she could not help but admire the Young Dragon's intelligence. Even before the battle had began, he had already started to confuse his enemies and sow discontent.

Then she also remembered the way they had lost the last battle.

The Otsutsuki army had allowed itself to be surrounded, being overconfident of their superior numbers and that mistake had cost them the entire battle as the Young Dragon and his men mercilessly tore them apart.

This time she barely had 70,000 forces under her command, four times more than her enemy but...

She could not afford the same mistake again.

"Disperse our forces. Keep 40,000 here and the remaining 30,000 shall cover all our coastal fronts. GO!" she commanded, earning a reluctant nod from Hayate and a relieved nod from Shinzo.

As her orders started to be implemented, her large army made up of her own clansmen, Hagoromo, Kaguya and the dead started to spread across the vast beaches.

"I bet the King will be in the rear" suggested Shinzo, but she shook her head knowing otherwise.

As if even the gods agreed with her assessment, her pale byakugan watched a man on the lead ship unleash his sword. A moment later a jet of pure energy screeched out of the sword piercing the dark skies making the clouds scream in agony.

"My queen..."

She didn't need her commander to tell her what she already knew, for she felt that power rise from the hidden depths of the ocean.

Right before her very eyes, she saw the entire enemy fleet be obscured as a monstrous wave started to rise from the oceans. Even her own clansmen took a step back when the body of water spanning several miles and close to a hundred feet in height stood before them ready to charge.

A smile broke across her face as she walked forward ignoring the cries of her subordinates.

She walked in silence until she stood at the front of her army watching the tsunami staring right back at her.

And then it charged.

It was a bloody nightmare coming to life and the silent but terrifying sound of the approaching tsunami was enough to make several of the Hagoromo tremble in fear. Ignoring their terror, the queen allowed the veins around her eyes to materialize as she raised her hands forward.

 **"SHINRA TENSAI!"**

Her battlecry unleashed another force of nature as the shockwave tore through the beach rushing straight towards the approaching tsunami. She watched in satisfaction as her attack took momentum creating its own massive tsunami which charged straight towards the one unleashed by her enemy.

With a thundering roar both bodies of water clashed against each other shaking the entire battlefield and even the seas. Large water waves roared in fury, as thousands upon thousands of water droplets fell from the skies drenching warriors of both sides evenly.

Her eyes tried to catch sight of any damage the enemy fleet might have suffered due to the collision of the tsunami waves.

She was startled when a very familiar cry tore through the skies and not a moment later it was deafened by the murderous war cries of thousands of warriors.

As the raging waters finally subsided, she watched a massive shape in the sky and another shorter form upon it. The sight of that bringing up old memories from the last great war she had fought against Indra and Ashura.

 _Tell your queen...Fire and Blood will come to her lands when 15,000 humans will invade her home to see if its really impenetrable._

She had watched these creatures be torn apart by Madara completely, except for one that had fallen gravely injured on the battlefield.

Now the very same creature was being ridden by her arch enemy.

The sight of that dark green scaled dragon flying ahead of thousands of humans warriors was a striking blow to the self superiority of the Otsutsuki.

If that was not enough, she also saw the Nine Tailed Fox take its full form as it charged straight at her army from the sea with an army of humans by his side.

Her gaze caught sight of the lone eyed boy riding atop the dragon and despite her situation she couldn't help but find it fitting.

She watched him fly his dragon close to her left flank where Hayate was still in the process of deploying his forces.

 _"Fire!"_

Flames as scorching hot as the sun erupted from the reptile creature's massive mouth and soon enough bathed hundreds of her forces. Their agonizing cries finally snapping her out her dazed state.

She saw the Kyuubi preparing a Bijudama and was torn between stopping the beast or the dragon king that was currently roasting hundreds of her men alive every second. At this rate, her numerical superiority would be lost.

"My queen, we are with you" declared Shinzo bravely,

Her faith returned when her clansmen and followers unleashed their own ancient weapons with murder ever present in their eyes. Giving them a thankful nod, she made a hand seal creating two dozen of her own shadow clones who all looked at her unflinchingly.

"Capture the Kyuubi" she instructed coldly,

"Hai" replied her clones in unison, before they all vanished to carry out their orders.

"Shinzo, I leave the command of our forces to you. Hold the lines" she ordered, as the man slapped a hand to his chest.

"We won't let them pass, my queen!" promised her commander,

She nodded before she took to the skies as she summoned her own ancestral sword. The pale blade appeared in her hand alongwith the chakra balls around her body as she glared hatefully at the dragon and its rider.

It had finished another pass burning hundreds more of her men; but as if sensing her approach it turned and it was then she first caught sight of Naruto Uchiha himself.

His lone eye burning with the Mangekyo narrowed down on her as he turned his dragon straight towards her.

They both charged against each other...knowing only one would survive.


	41. Land of Water, Part 2

**Thank you for the support. Hope you continue it.**

 **Music Recommendation: Jonsi- Kolniour (Full Studio Version)**

 **Chapter 41**

 **Land of Water, Part 2**

* * *

He sailed towards her and watched as she charged right at him without hesitation. Perhaps, he even saw a glint of excitement in those pale white eyes. The power he felt within her was enough to make him grip **Dawn** firmly, but despite the danger she was to him, he could not help but also witness how beautiful she was in a strange fashion.

The roar of his dragon followed by the beast unleashing a tornado of burning flames towards the Otsutsuki queen was enough to snap him out of his daze as he prepared himself.

Much to his disappointment, he saw her simply observing the flames with the help of her Rinnegan.

He carefully watched her movements, his research on this dojutsu had revealed a great many interesting things about its power. Apart from her display on the battlefield that had been witnessed by countless of his men, Tajima who had actually read the Uchiha Tablet before Naruto destroyed it years ago also revealed a few key facts.

It allowed its user seven various forms of powers, the most important being its ability to revive the dead and the power to control the Ten Tails.

Apart from that it also allowed its user to summon various creatures, use of unconventional weapons, the power of attraction and repulsion and even the ability to absorb chakra which was currently being used by Hinata Otsutsuki.

But even if she was busy fending his attack, she had already made her own offense.

Naruto saw several ball sized objects rushing towards him from all sides, only his Mangekyo showing him the dangerous power within each of them ready to blast him to oblivion. Grabbing his brother's gunbai from his back, he quickly jumped in the air watching each and every movement of the incoming projectiles.

His Mangekyo turned just in time to save his dragon from getting pierced by the chakra balls. He focused on them until they were completely absorbed into his space portal before focusing directly on the Otsutsuki forces on the ground.

The Otsutsuki queen's hateful cry was drowned over the painful screams of her own forces as they were butchered by the very same chakra balls as they suddenly smashed in their ranks obliterating dozens in a flash.

She saw him falling down at her, his sword ready to cleave her in half which made her raise her own weapon. Their blades clashed with a ferocious cry and she did well not to look into his lone eye. His dragon backed away and went off to burn other enemies as its master and Hinata both fell towards the ground.

She quickly used the short respite to create some distance between them and was pleased when swarms of her dead thralls charged towards him.

Her joy turned to ashes when each and everyone of her thralls were set on fire courtesy of the power of _Amaterasu_ unleashed by his lone eye.

But it also showed her the slight painful twitch of his eyes and the blood that leaked out of it.

"You have used them too much in this war" she remarked,

He remained silent but his pain said all that she needed to know. Throughout this war, he had used his Mangekyo ruthlessly. Transporting entire armies across thousands of miles through space time portals was a destructive exercise and he had done that twice in a row apart from using them in his various battles. And that was when he had two Mangekyo, now with just one of those lethal dojutsu it put even more strain on his vision.

The Mangekyo was a doubled edged sword, after all.

Still, she could not help but admire the boy in front of her. At 16, he had accomplished more than what most humans ever achieved in their entire lives. Despite not in equal in power to her or her army, he had won all but one battle. Even now watching him fearlessly stand in front of her increased her respect of him.

"We'll need generals like you in the final war against my clansmen. Why don't you join us? In return, I'll spare your life and those of the people you love" she offered with a smile,

Seeing that it didn't even move a muscle on his face, she decided to offer the real deal.

"How about your aunt? Your mother? Your friends? Your brothers? I can give them back to you, my Rinnegan gives me the power to bring back the dead to life" she offered,

And there it was.

Even hardened men like Naruto loved their families and the sheer grief that momentary clouded his eye showed how much the loss of those people affected him.

"All my life I only wanted to live with my family. To serve them and keep them safe" he confessed, unable to stop the memories of his dead brothers, best friends, a mother he never knew, but most of all he felt the absence of Izuna and Naori in his life everyday.

"Kneel before me and fight for me in the wars to come, and I will give you your family back" offered Hinata calmly, and was disappointed when he shook his head.

"I know the Otsutsuki clan is coming to destroy this world and we have to stop them. But my people will never bow to you, not after what you did. All you had to do was ask for help" he chastised, earning a scoff from her.

"Do you think your race has ever learned to be united even in the face of annihilation? You know better, King Naruto. I am not going to waste my time making blind creatures see reason. If they cannot take action to save themselves, I am not going to help them. Those who follow me shall have my protection, those who don't can _die_ " she declared icily, projecting a monstrous amount of her killing intent.

Even then, he stood before her tall and unwavering.

"It's fear and blood that made many of your followers accept you as their king. If they can do it to save themselves, why can't you make the right choice to save your people? Isn't that your responsibility as their king?" asked Hinata curiously,

"Maybe you're right. But what I do know is that they never want you to rule over them or decide how they live their lives. They want you dead and I am here to make it happen" he answered defiantly,

Despite everything, it made her smile as he reminded her of another one like him whom she had fought against in the past.

"You're as stubborn as Indra" she whispered,

"I can imagine no higher praise than that" replied Naruto with a firm nod, but the queen shook her head.

She sighed in defeat, there was no point in arguing with humans. They all kept on repeating the mistakes of the past again and again, never learning from history. Her gaze hardened and at a flick of her fingers, nearly ten of her fellow Otsutsuki clansmen gathered around him with their weapons raised.

"They say you're the finest swordsman in a hundred generations. Let's see how far that claim is true" she declared,

His lone Mangekyo narrowed as he raised **Dawn** in one hand and Madara's gunbai in the other. The first Otsutsuki warrior lunged at the queen and watched with his Byakugan as the king fiercely slashed his gunbai. Monstrous gusts of winds ripped across the area and the Otsutsuki warrior was forced to defend himself.

 **"Hakkesho!"**

He managed to save himself by expelling his chakra that fought off the winds that would have shredded him to pieces but when he finally stopped his eyes widened when he saw four of his comrades were already lying dead on the ground with their throats slit.

The clash of steel pierced his ears and he saw one of his clansmen was barely able to scream as the king made a horizontal slash severing the man's head off in one blow. Even the man's sword had been torn in half courtesy of Dawn's ancient power.

Not even looking fazed a little bit, Naruto watched the remaining four Otsutsuki surround him.

If he was them, he would use their Byakugan to deliver close but deadly strikes but it would seem they were too blindly loyal to their queen and wanted to win her favor by crushing him in sword combat.

Either way, they were welcome to try.

The six he had already cut down were so confident of their power that they had not even considered that a faster opponent could still cut them down even if they had the Byakugan that allowed them to see from almost all directions.

He parried his sword against the first attacker and clashed his Gunbai against the other. They had him pinned from the front and rear leaving his sides undefended, an advantage the remaining two enemy warriors were keen to utilize as they closed in him. Their confident grins soon turned into blood curling screams as they were bathed in the flames of _Amaterasu_ , an attack not even the Byakugan could save them from.

The remaining two enemies lost their focus just for a second watching their comrades be set on fire which was all Naruto needed. Silent as a snake, he batted away the sword of his enemy before burying the weapon in his precious eye and tore clean through his brain. The king had to fight back a grimace as the man shat himself before falling dead on the beach like a sack of potatoes, his gunbai had held back the other attacker who quickly tried to create distance from him after seeing the fate of his comrades.

His Byakugan saw the enemy king swiftly rushing towards him and he roared in fury about to show the human his place only to cough in pain when something pierced his chest. He looked down to see **Dawn** had pierced him from behind and the king standing behind him with a cold look in his lone eye.

"Never look into my eye"

The Otsutsuki realized his mistake before he departed from the world leaving the king alone to face the Otsutsuki queen. To Naruto's surprise, she took the deaths of her man in a very composed manner as if they meant nothing to her, which was probably true.

He flinched when a monstrous aura descended around him, its presence crushing him like an insect against a mountain. Every muscle in his body screamed against the agony as his mind was assaulted by countless brutal sights. He watched the day when his brothers were cut down, he watched as Naori gave her life to save his own...

Never before had he felt killing intent so dark and malicious making him glare at the woman doing this.

Only to find her gone.

His eyes widened as dark fabrics of space opened all around him and his lone Mangekyo watched several forms of the Otsutsuki queen emerging with their ancient swords ready to skewer him from all sides.

 _You gauged my reaction time as I killed your men and now want to use that to kill me._

He would have called her move impressive had it not been used against him, instead he quickly raised his sword upwards and sank to his knees. Naruto grimaced as multiple swords clashed against his own and if not for his years of experience and inner strength, he would have been cut down in half. Even so, his hand trembled against the pressure before he gave a mighty roar and pushed every one of the enemy forms away from him. They all backflipped in the air and had already prepared their next move.

 **"Tomogoroshi no Haikotsu (All Killing Ash bones)"**

Hundreds of bone shards were unleashed by the dozen clones which charged straight at him. His Mangekyo saw the cursed power in those projectiles knowing one hit would be enough to finish him off. He remembered Hashirama had been brought down by attacks of similar nature and if not for the Senju's extreme strong healing abilities, he would have perished. But unlike Hashirama, he didn't possess that vitality which would prove fatal for him.

 **"Amaterasu"**

An inferno of black flames rose all around him and instantly served as his shield against the storm of deadly bone projectiles. Hundreds of them clashed against the deadly flames and turned to ashes. He could see the minor annoyance visible on the Otsutsuki queen's replicas as their attacks were being met with equal force but their bitterness soon turned to horror when the ground beneath their feet vanished and was replaced by the darkness of space. They never got the chance to react as they were sucked inside his personal dimension.

Naruto's triumph was shortlived as he had to quickly jump when the ground beneath his own feet vanished and the real Hinata Otsutsuki appeared with her blade ready to slice him. As he tried to create distance between them, she raised her only free hand right at him.

He prepared to defend only to see her suddenly turn around and point the same hand at his army currently fighting against her forces on the beaches.

 **"SHINRA TENSEI!"**

He roared furiously and jumped towards her but it was already too late.

Naruto watched in dismay as hundreds upon hundreds of men were hit by the gravitational wave that not just destroyed the ground but also each and every part of their body. The entire battlefield was covered in large columns of smoke and it was the moment when the Otsutsuki commanders blinked in surprise.

She swiftly turned around and parried his slash while her cruel smile mocked him.

"15,000 shadow clones? That's something I have never seen before" she commented, admiration alongwith mockery ever present in her smooth voice.

He remained silent knowing that sooner or later his trick would be exposed. Now, he watched the Otsutsuki commanders be emboldened beyond control having realized that they were up against a clone army instead of a real one.

He looked at Kurama who was his strongest card on the battlefield, but to his dismay the beast was engaged in a bitter fight against Hinata's clones and could not be of help to the clone forces currently facing a furious onslaught of the emboldened Otsutuski army.

His lone dragon was doing well so far and was the only thing keeping the majority of the Otsutsuki's army left flank from closing in on the ninja clone army.

Mifune was doing well in holding the center and right flank assault but was facing difficulty in making any breakthrough. It was to be expected, after all.

When he had asked every one of his soldiers back home to make shadow clones, many had questioned him as to where he would be using them. But he had promised them that they would be put to good use against the enemy, yet even so clones could never replace the strength of a real warrior and it showed as he saw his forces being pushed on the defensive.

It was a desperate gamble he had taken and one which had worked so far in keeping the entire or atleast most of the Otsutsuki fighters occupied on the coasts.

He pushed the Otsutsuki queen back and created distance between them. The woman glanced at him with something close to sympathy and admiration...

"You cannot defeat me, Naruto" she stated calmly,

"Maybe not" he agreed, much to her surprise.

"Then why come here? You knew you would lose and die a horrible death" she stated curiously, and saw him clench his fists.

"Possibly. It might all just be a fool's gamble but I had to try for the sake of my people. They chose me as their king and I will fight for them until my dying breath" he promised fiercely, his lone eye glaring at her furiously.

"Even if you somehow manage to kill me, then too you will die here at the hands of my forces. All alone" said Hinata, and frowned when he smiled at her threat.

"Not alone"

She saw three shadows surround her with their swords ready to cut her down. They all were wearing the same golden armor with the dragon sigil as the King and had the similar facial looks. She recognized the two boys from the Battle of Uzu where they alongwith their now dead comrades had stopped the Gedo Mazo itself. The girl she didn't recognize but her eyes were full of hatred and a desire for vengeance.

"I wondered when you would show up. It's right, you're his Kingsguard after all" said Hinata with a knowing smile,

"It does not matter as to what happens here but you will die here at our hands" promised Itachi coldly,

"Screaming" whispered Mikoto with hatred burning in her eyes,

"You should run while you have the chance" mocked Hinata, and clenched her teeth when Shisui looked at her without any fear present in his eyes.

"The Kingsguard doesn't flee"

Naruto smiled on watching his friends stand up to their arch enemy. They had no fear in their hearts and were fully determined to fight bravely. It was all he could ask of them as he raised his own sword.

No matter what happened, he had to keep Hinata Otsutsuki and her forces occupied.

 _I leave the rest to you, Mito._

* * *

Danzo and Kakashi were the first warriors to jump out of the space dimension, their sharp eyes scanning the nearby area for any sign of ninja forces. To their relief, there were none just as the King had promised them.

They both nodded as more and more of their comrades came charging out of the space dimension led by none other than Nagato and Mito Uzumaki themselves.

Salamander Hanzo also arrived with the remaining 240 ninjas, and when everyone had finally reached they saw a clone of their king step outside. The poor man looked a bit worn out while he glanced at Danzo and the others.

"How is the battle?" asked Hanzo seriously, making the king's clone sigh.

"You need to hurry"

Kakashi clenched his fist as he realized how dire the situation must be. He could only imagine the dire circumstances their comrades were in, once the Otsutsuki realized they were facing a clone army it would only be a matter of time before they went wild and slaughtered everyone.

"We are ready, my king" promised Mito, earning confirmation nods from her brother and clansmen alike.

 _"Defensive Formation!"_

Danzo's firm command had every ninja scrambling across all four directions as the few dozen Uzumaki started performing a familiar set of hand seals.

 **"Four Seals Barrier!"**

Soon enough, a large red colored barrier rose across the barren ground surrounding the Uzumaki fighters and the king's clone inside of it. Meanwhile, the remaining ninjas all took up defensive formations all around the barrier. They had practiced for this task so many times that there were no mistakes or unnecessary confusion.

 _Danzo commanded the Northern flank with around 60 men._

 _Kakashi commanded the Southern flank with around 60 men._

 _Hanzo Salamander had command over both the Western and Eastern flanks with around 100 men._

 _The rest were Uzumaki tasked with maintaining the barrier and assisting their clan leaders alongside their king._

"Nagato, Mito, once we do this the Otsutsuki will be alarmed. Our forces on the coasts will try to keep them occupied, but I'm afraid our tricks will be finished and their full power will descend on this position" warned the king's clone gravely,

"We will defend them to the death, my king!" promised Danzo, determination ever present in his dark eyes.

"Same here!" promised Kakashi,

Hanzo merely gave a firm nod which brought a thin smile to the clone's face.

"We will do our best to get them ready" assured Nagato, earning a nod from his sister.

"We can begin, my king" replied Mito,

The clone nodded as his Mangekyo spinned to open a massive portal and moments later four gigantic forms were dumped roughly across the ground inside the barrier. The dangerous beasts were docile thanks to the King's use of the Mangekyo over the past few weeks, but Mito still extended her chakra chains and bound them.

Mito watched the king's clone fall to its knees as blood leaked from its eyes. She could only imagine how much chakra was the real king expending throughout this battle. Nagato went to help the clone but he denied the aid.

"Do what must be done"

The clone vanished in a puff of smoke giving that last command, his energy all but spent.

Nagato steeled himself as he took in a deep breath, the only solace he had was the fact that the space time dimension was still open courtesy of another clone on the other side holding it. If not for its presence, every person involved in this task would never get enough time to escape away to safety.

He glanced at the four terrifying tailed beasts that were currently put into a deep sleep. At one point, he had suggested the king to use them in battle against the Otsutsuki queen but Naruto had ruled out that possibility with a dangerous suggestion.

 _It is true that using them will increase our chances in battle, but the queen will know that I am the one controlling them. If she manages to kill me, then we lose control over them and they might just fall into Otsutsuki hands again. I cannot take that risk, I can trust the fox because it's my friend and would sooner die than allow himself to be made a pawn._

 _We have to do this, Nagato._

His King's words rang true in his heart as Nagato Uzumaki stepped beside his sister. She nodded gravely as they both started to perform a very lengthy and detailed set of hand seals.

 **"Naraka Fuin (Seals of Hell)"**

Dark seals extended out of the ground and started to crawl all over the massive forms of the Four, Fix, Six and Eight Tailed beasts.

"Mito!" warned Nagato,

His sister heeded his warning and strengthened the hold of her chains just in time as all four beasts howled in agony. The ground shook violently as the dangerous creatures tried to break free despite Mito's best attempts to keep them in control.

The rest of their clansmen rushed forward and increased the speed of the same jutsu by adding their own power but the tailed beasts were going berserk as their very essence was being torn apart and consumed between each other.

Nagato flinched when two of his clansmen were suddenly smashed to death by an enraged Four Tails. Another Uzumaki barely managed to jump out of the fist launched by the Five Tailed beast only to be eaten alive by the Six Tails.

It was chaos and madness even as Mito roared in fury bringing the beasts crashing back to the ground. Despite her best attempts and the king's mental command, the subdued beasts were thrashing to regain control as all four of them were slowly but surely becoming a part of a massive ball of chakra.

Nagato watched his sister cough blood due to terrible strain the beasts were putting down on her, but he ignored it just as he ignored the fact that the earth was shaking around him, or the screams of the tailed beasts was driving him mad, or some of his clansmen were desperately fighting for their lives.

 _To overcome monsters, we must become one ourselves. There is no other way to survive in this cruel world._

With that dark thought, Nagato discarded his last shred of doubt and mercilessly channeled his power to create the biggest devastation their world had ever seen.

* * *

The guttural screams of deranged beasts cut threw the entire battlefield like a shockwave leaving every living soul on either side terrified. Those were the cries of a cornered animal who was about to be butchered.

Hinata Otsutsuki's eyes widened as she felt that immense power bubbling in the center of her lands. There could be no mistake about it...

Her shocked gaze connected with that of the Young Dragon and saw him smiling back at her grimly.

His three friends surrounded her from all sides prepared to stop her at any costs.

"You _suicidal_ bastard!" she cursed, making Naruto laugh.

"It would seem you have seen our guts now" answered Naruto coldly,

She wanted to scream at these insane people, did they even have any clue about the amount of destruction such a move would cause. It would quite possibly destroy the entire Land of Water taking the lives of every single person in it, their included.

But one look in their eyes showed her that they came here to destroy their enemy, no matter the cost. Even if it meant sacrificing all their lives.

She snarled and opened her space time dimension only to be blocked by a counter dimension blocking her way courtesy of Naruto. She tried again only to meet the same result. Her furious gaze met his own knowing that as long as he lived, she could not rush to stop his comrades who were literally going to detonate four monstrous Biju.

Her fists clenched and it was at that moment when Naruto grimaced as thousands of Otsutsuki thralls broke formation and started running towards the central lands where Danzo and the Uzumaki were. Mifune and the clone army tried their best to stop as many as they could but even so thousands of dead thralls, hundreds of Kaguya and Hagoromo alongwith a handful Otsutsuki ran on the silent command of their queen. Such was their urgency that they did not even stop to protect or help their comrades running alongside them who were suddenly burned alive by the furious dragon in the sky.

The Kyuubi was still on the backfoot against the queen's clones and its best attempts to stop the enemy were being blocked.

He glanced at his three friends who gave him grim nods knowing there was nothing they could do in this situation, except stop and kill the queen.

If her murderous gaze was any indication, she wanted to do the same to them albeit more cruelly.

She leaned forward with her sword ready and dojutsu full of cold fury ready to burn them to ashes.

"Now it begins"

She charged forward making Naruto raise his sword.

 _"Now it ends"_


	42. Indra's Heir

**Thank you for the support. Hope you continue it.**

 **Also, guys there are just 3 more chapters left in this story including the epilogue so feel free to review.**

 **And also thanks to the guest reviewer who gave some valuable points regarding writing style, that is a very helpful review and hopefully this chapter will show my improvements in that area. I won't promise a sudden change in my writing style but do keep in mind that your suggestion has been noted.**

 **Without further ado,**

 **Chapter 42**

 **Indra's Heir**

* * *

She charged at him with her pale moonlight colored blade shining in the darkness. In return, he charged forward bravely with Dawn and his gunbai in his arms. A powerful stream of chakra was released from the blade which soon coated all over his body giving him an unearthly appearance. Around him, three more shadows all moved at the same time with the intent of putting her down.

Hinata unleashed a stream of deep and thick mist that threatened to enshroud the entire battlefield in effort to reduce the sight of their enemy, but her plan was reduced to ashes when the dragon king slashed his gunbai unleashing powerful wind waves that nipped the dangerous jutsu completely.

She was surprised when his eye bled again and this time they bathed Dawn in the flames of Amaterasu, instead of melting the ancient Uchiha sword only grew stronger.

Her powerful byakugan saw the boy named Itachi switch to twin kunai and move in closer while his other two comrades wove through a familiar set of hand seals.

 **"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"**

Hinata easily jumped evading the jutsu that would have incinerated her only to come face to face with Itachi Uchiha. She grinned as she raised her palm forward towards the boy.

 **"SHINRA TENSAI!"**

Instead of watching the boy crumble before her, he only dissipated into a flock of crows much to her annoyance.

 _A bloody clone!_

She gripped her sword fiercely as her key opponent closed in. He was right there before her very eyes until he vanished, any other person including many younger ninjas of her clan would not have been able to keep up, but her Byakugan alerted her as she flicked her sword backwards meeting his vertical slash that was aimed to split her from behind.

Not wasting any moment, he made his next move.

 **"Amaterasu"**

Naruto grimaced as instead of his black flames burning her alive, they simply seemed to get absorbed into her skin thanks to the Rinnegan. As he kept her locked, all three of his friends appeared behind the queen unleashing dozens of kunai laced with explosive tags.

The King flipped away just in time as the explosions consumed the enemy queen. He was not happy when the smoke and dust settled only to see Hinata had simply created layers of earthen walls to save her from the explosion.

Without any hand seals.

Now, she looked beyond annoyed as she clasped her fingers creating three more clones who instantly jumped to engage his friends in a fierce duel. The King wanted to help them out but had no choice but to focus on the real enemy.

In a futile move, the enemy queen tried to swarm Naruto with hordes of her dead thralls only to grit her teeth when the king set them all on fire courtesy of Amaterasu. Realizing, she would have to deal with him personally without any external aid she charged back at him.

Their blades clashed with a fierce roar sending sparks everywhere. She dared to look into his eye and surprised him even further when his attempt to cast a genjutsu on her had no effect. She had too much power and experience to fall for his tricks.

Atleast not yet.

He parried a horizontal slash of her blade and ducked in order to avoid her fingers from touching his heart. Having received intelligence about the Byakugan and its powers, he was in no mood test its ability to render him devoid of his chakra and possibly even steal his life.

Only years of his training and experience allowed him to keep his composure as she attacked him ruthlessly. To his surprise, she was not using any jutsu and was actually interested in seeing his skill with the blade. He was only glad to oblige her desire as it bought him more time to study her fighting style.

Hinata dodged another powerful gutso of wind released by Naruto's gunbai and blocked his sword from slicing her legs. She twisted her head sharply barely dodging the water bullets released from his mouth. He had already used that little distraction to twist her sword around and brutally smacked her on the cheek with his gunbai making her sail away.

She twisted mid air in fury and one of her arms transformed into a dozen missiles, all of which she launched at him at once.

Instead of using his teleportation jutsu, he swiftly ran straight towards the nearest horde of her dead thralls currently trying to hold back the king's clone army. Hinata didn't relent even when the first batch of her missiles obliterated dozens of her thralls, if it was the price she had to pay for her arch enemy's death then so be it. But he exceeded her expectations by dodging every one of her missiles which in turn only costed her more men.

 _He's saving as much of his chakra as he can._ _Smart boy._

 **"SHINRA TENSEI!"**

The king blinked as the gravitational force tore towards him, destroying every inch of ground in its path. Knowing he had no choice, he was forced to jump into his space dimension and emerge right behind the queen who had already anticipated such an attack as she was ready to face him and was quick to pounce.

Naruto blocked her sword with his own but her chakra fist pierced through his gunbai connecting directly with his left shoulder which sent him crashing away. Anger tore through his heart on seeing his brother's prized weapon broken, more than that his left arm went limp courtesy of her blocking several of his chakra points.

Believing her advantage achieved, Hinata was left stunned when Naruto coated his fingers with precise amount of chakra and gazed at the blocked points with the help of his Mangekyo. In quick touches, he managed to open them all back up regaining feeling in his left shoulder much to the queen's surprise.

 _Of course, he's married to the bloody Senjus. His wife is one of the finest medics, she must have taught him how to counter my move after seeing what it did to her eldest brother._

The only way to defeat him quickly was to rob him off his precious chakra. For all his skill and valor, Naruto did not have as vast reserves as Hashirama Senju or Madara Uchiha. Already he had used a plenty to get his forces this far, just a little bit more and he would finally crumble.

"Shinzo!"

To her utter satisfaction, one of her two primary commanders quickly answered her call and behind him came thousands of warriors. Most of them were dead thralls, several were Hagoromo and Kaguya, a few Otsutsuki but one face elicited just the reaction from Naruto that the queen was hoping for.

Naruto clenched his fist shut drawing blood as among the enemy forces, he saw the familiar face of Itama Senju and many of his clansmen. Shisui had not failed to inform him of the young boy's sacrifice that allowed the Uzumaki clan and the Allied forces to flee. The boy who had once been weak became the one to save thousands of lives. To see him reduced to this...

If that was not enough, he saw hundreds of Uchiha dead as his enemies.

 _His people._

There were so many others he recognized. Hatake, Aburame, Yamanaka, Akimichi, Kurama...

Hinata saw Naruto literally grinding his own teeth, his lone eye ablaze with dangerous fury. She felt the entire beach tremble violently and felt the king's chakra spike violently. What she had not imagined was the entire sea to rumble.

 **"Attack!"**

Commander Shinzo had realized the growing threat and swiftly gave the command unleashing nearly a few thousand former shinobi at the dragon king. Hundreds rushed towards him while hundreds more skilled ones weaved through several dozen sets of hand seals.

The king himself charged forward with righteous fury burning in his lone eye and his ancestral sword burning even more greatly. Naruto's charge gained dangerous momentum as he neared the army of dead.

A wall of kunai, shuriken, explosive tags were immediately thrown towards the king and it was then the king himself grabbed his own set of kunai and effortlessly threw them forward. Without any seals, he created hundreds of replica which not only defeated the attacks aimed at him but also managed to hit dozens of his enemies, all of whom soon exploded courtesy of the hidden explosive tags on the kunai.

Haunting screams echoed across the battlefield as a wall of dark Amaterasu flames surged forward burning every single person in its way. It was so vast and so tall beyond any mercy as it burned alive living and dead alike.

Still, the enemies of the king were just too many and they charged at him as his attack died down.

In return, the king set the sky on fire.

Hinata's eyes widened as she felt the dragon king literally set clouds on fire with the help of the flames of Amaterasu. The amount of energy being churned in the sky was beyond belief and she flew immediately just moments before the heavens cried.

She watched Naruto clench his fist and then a blinding light exploded over the Land of Water.

* * *

Kurama blinked his eyes open after what felt like several long minutes which in reality had barely been a few moments, yet a lot had changed in that short period.

His eyes widened as he saw a massive crater born on the beach with its sand turned black.

He also spotted the enemy army devoid of a few thousand of their soldiers and one look at that dark sand lying on the beach told him of their fate.

He had remembered Naruto fighting against a small enemy army all alone before he set the sky on fire with the help of Amaterasu. He had heard the thunder as the clouds had screamed in agony, before a singly flash of lightning had fell from the heavens.

Only instead of the lightning being dark blue in color, it had been _dark black_.

All the energy of the clouds converted into one single attack combined with the speed, distance and devastation of Amaterasu.

The end result was utter annihilation.

Both armies had momentarily stopped fighting to witness the sheer amount of destruction. Even the Otsutsuki commanders leading their army froze on seeing the fate of their comrades.

And for the first time, their queen looked rattled.

Justifiably, as Naruto's murderous gaze landed on her.

* * *

She had been too late.

For all her talent, she was not more powerful than nature. Despite her best attempts, she had been unable to stop that attack and it had butchered a large chunk of her forces.

An entire flank of her army was now wavering and would soon collapse with that dragon still wrecking havoc on her remaining corpses.

A scenario she had never thought possible in her wildest dreams.

Her eyes met the gaze of the king and she flinched when she saw the raw hatred in his eyes. She imagined herself being butchered in the most gruesome ways. She had underestimated him and his hate of seeing his people be turned against him.

He was unpredictable, unlike most humans. She had never anticipated him wielding so much power or control, he was supposed to be the better general. A master of tactical warfare, while Madara and Hashirama were his two strongest fighters.

But unlike those two men whose powers were legendary, Naruto had a power of his own.

Even now she could not bring herself to read his next move. He never screamed or raged, he never gave away his emotions even in the most dire situations, he was silent as a whisper when he attacked never allowing his enemies any time to counter his moves.

Shinzo alongside his little army never had a chance as they were all turned to ashes. The fact that the king had not even spared Itama Senju was a stark proof of his lack of mercy or hesitation.

He had just killed them all.

And now those murderous eyes were glaring at her.

She had to stop him!

 **"Summoning Jutsu!"**

* * *

Naruto panted harshly as his body still recovered from the shock of dispensing _Kami No_ _Raijin (Divine Thunder)_ so quickly. It was one of his most expensive chakra consuming jutsu, made even more deadly by the speed of his execution. The result had been complete annihilation of his enemies but it had costed him.

His muscles ached as his body tried to reduce the impact of that much chakra being exhausted at once.

He had already used quite a lot to transport his army here, then fighting against the queen and her forces. Yet, she seemed hardly injured.

Now, he watched as she unleashed an army of dangerous summoning creatures at him.

The entire group was strange: _A Giant Dog, A Giant Drilled Beaked Bird, A Fuming Rhino, A Dangerous Ox, even a Centipede, Panda and Crustacean_. They were so massive and he knew he could not fight them all at the same time.

They were falling towards him and he quickly gathered another wave of his chakra.

Only to watch the skies above him set alight in scorching flames as of **Ryu** consumed everything. The green scaled dragon roared furiously as its flames caught the Ox and Panda. The creatures screamed in agony but were instantly silenced as another wave of fire consumed them. The remaining summons scattered away in order to avoid the dangerous flying mass of death.

Naruto could not help but be surprised at the dragon's actions. He had commanded the creature to destroy the Otsutsuki army, yet it had overcame that order given by a Mangekyo and came to his rescue. It truly was a frightening beast as it swooped down from the sky and snatched the Crustacean in its maw crushing it to death before swallowing the beast even as it disappeared in a huge plume of smoke.

The dragon was suddenly attacked by dangerous winds, a courtesy of the Beaked Bird flying above it. But the beast's scales held and soon the dragon found the creature who had the nerve to attack him. The Beaked Bird tried to flee but the dragon was faster and set its enemy on fire. Watching that summon vanish in a pume of smoke was a satisfying sight.

The dragon circled around before landing beside him in a protective manner spreading its large wings and bellowing a battlecry that momentarily stopped the three headed dog, Panda and Centipede; the only three summons that were still alive.

Not a second later, the three beasts screamed in unbearable agony and collapsed. Seconds later dark flames of Amaterasu erupted from their insides and consumed their outer bodies as well. Naruto felt a stinging pain in his lone eye as a stream of blood flooded down his face. He fell to one knee and had to grasp Dawn for support as the pain consumed his body.

He barely had anytime to react as the hidden _Chameleon_ emerged from the shadows, its long and monstrous snakelike tail smashed against the dragon's face sending the beast crashing away. It roared a massive plume of purple smoke and Naruto knew it was dangerous if he got caught. But before he could move a sticky but strong tail emerged from the smoke and wrapped him in a vice like grip.

 **"Wind Style: Hurricane!"**

 **"Fire Style: Fire Ball Jutsu!"**

A gust of powerful wind rushed past him and collided straight with the approaching smoke dispersing it easily. Not a second later dozens of fireballs descended from the skies right upon the exposed chameleon. A quick slash from the sword had the creature's tongue be severed separating the trapped king from its hold. The fireballs hit home and from the huge plume of smoke that happened everybody knew the beast was finished.

A thin smile came upon Naruto's lips as his three friends took up positions around him. Mikoto cleaned the blood of the chameleon from her sword in one reflexive slash, while Shisui and Itachi grabbed their friend by his shoulders to keep him steady.

Before they could say anything, they watched Naruto's eyes go wide in horror as he pushed past them already weaving his hands through several hand seals.

 **"SHINRA TENSEI!"**

* * *

Kakashi Hatake gripped his tanto fiercely as he felt the earth beneath him tremble. Looking at his men, he saw they also felt the power approaching towards them. If the roars weren't terrifying enough, then the sheer wave of darkness rushing towards them was enough to make even the most hardened veterans nervous.

He could be wrong, but he easily spotted thousands rushing towards him.

Maybe 10,000 strong.

His only solace was the fact that the enemy forces were confident in their superior numbers and had decided to storm through their front lines instead of surrounding the barrier on all four sides. It had forced Danzo and Mifune to reassemble their entire force on the Northern Flank.

 _220 against 10,000._

The men and women were grim with some even imagining that the only way these many enemy could have reached here would be on the sole possibility of their king dying in battle. But Danzo was quick to point out the still open space time portal in their rear lines and it could only function in the event of the king still fighting. It gave the men hope just as Hanzo stepped before them.

Even if Danzo had command over the fighters, the young Shimura had deferred that role to the more experienced Hanzo who had lived through two decades of the Clan Wars Era.

"They'll try to come at us in multiple waves. But we will hold them!" commanded Hanzo, no trace of hesitation or doubt present in his grave voice.

The older commander was pleased when the distinct thump of clenched fist colliding against armor reached him. Looking into the eyes of these warriors, Hanzo now understood why Naruto only wanted those willing to risk everything to be a part of this mission. There was no honor or glory to be gained from this battle, only death.

Only those with a strong heart and determined mind could make that choice.

"Danzo, take command of the left flank!"

"Kakashi, hold the right flank!"

Both boys gave swift nods as they took up their respective positions on the battlefield. If by any chance, the enemy managed to break through or try to reach the barrier from other directions then Hanzo had his dangerous Salamander hidden to deal with the situation. The beast was barely visible and would do well in crushing anyone who tried to destroy the barrier in order to reach the Uzumaki trying to set off four tailed beasts.

Kakashi dared not look back inside the barrier at that growing mass of _violent chakra_. He could feel its power even from here and felt his bones rattle as he tried to imagine what it would do to him once it went off. He would simply vanish from this world alongwith an entire continent.

The enemy felt that danger too which was why the first wave charged at them without any further delay.

The battle had begun.

 **"SCROLLS!"** bellowed Kakashi,

Similar cries were issued by Hanzo who was commanding the center of their formation and Danzo who was on the left flank. Dozens of ninjas in their rear ranks unleashed multiple scrolls from their holsters and jumped high in the air.

The first wave of scrolls unleashed a rain of kunai that sailed high in the air before landing upon the battlefield.

Dozens upon dozens of explosions tore through enemy ranks but it hardly had any affect as their charge never faltered. Even more of the enemy ranks fell prey to the deadly traps that Kakashi and his men had set underground.

Hundreds of the enemy perished leading to their charge being brought down to a halt.

Their ranks parted until two dozen Otsutsuki stepped forward leading to many of the allied ninjas to take a step back. Their infamous dojutsu manifested in their eyes and Kakashi instantly sensed the massive build up of chakra.

"Samurai, to the front!SHIELD WALL!" he roared, and was glad the veterans stepped forward forming the first line and locked their shields together.

"Earth Style Users, FORMATION Z!" bellowed Kakashi,

Kakashi himself performed a set of hand seals alongside three dozen other ninjas in the center of their formation before they all slammed their palms on the ground.

 **"Eight Triagrams: Air Palm Wall!"**

The Otsutsuki unleashed their attack as a massive force of lethal chakra charged forth in a roaring wave crushing boulders, rocks and the very earth itself in its path.

 **"Earth Style: Multiple Earth Walls!"**

Kakashi and his men erected atleast a dozen large earth walls covering their entire formation and grimaced when they felt their defenses being destroyed one after another. Fortunately, their final earth wall managed to stop the attack if only barely.

A heavy mist started to spread across the area as the roars of thousands of enemy forces echoed across the valley.

The final earth wall crumbled and much to everyone's surprise the Otsutsuki commanders were themselves leading the charge which only went to show how desperate they were to stop the ninjas.

 _"UCHIHAS!"_

The last of the dragon descendants stepped forward with their attack ready.

 **"Fire Style: Great Fire Annihilation!"**

Kakashi watched the last of the Uchiha warriors set the entire field on fire as a raging inferno of flames rushed towards the Otsutsuki army intending to burn everyone alive. In retaliation, the enemy forces joined together to unleash their own water tsunami that clashed against the fire tsunami.

In the chaos, Hanzo turned towards his Samurai warriors with his wicked scythe burning with chakra.

The Samurai infantry brought forward their own swords glowing with their own inner energy. Together, as one they roared and attacked.

 **''Divine Slash!"**

Kakashi watched waves of chakra laced with wind, fire, and lightning chakra be unleashed by the Samurai which charged straight into the enemy ranks eliciting pained screams.

"Danzo, unleash the aerial forces. We need to keep them away from us as long as possible!" ordered Hanzo,

"Understood, my lord" replied the Shimura heir,

Danzo unleashed a current of lightning from one of his hands into the air leading to a group of hawks to descend from the skies. The few Namikaze that had taken part in this mission mercilessly unleashed their payload of hundreds of explosives right on top of the exposed enemy forces.

The battlefield came alive as explosions tore through living and dead alike, their screams echoing far and wide for both sides to hear. Not wanting to give any quarter to the enemy, Danzo took command of their rear ranks as the earth style specialists made their next move.

 **"Earth Style: Heavy Bombardment!"**

Rocks the size of small houses were created by the ninjas and soon hurled across the field into the midst of the disarrayed enemy forces. They were doing heavy damage yet Kakashi smelled several approaching forms from the mist.

He glanced at Hanzo who gave a confirmation nod which was all the permission Kakashi needed.

"Uchihas and Senjus, with me!"

The last living son of Sakumo Hatake charged forward with the most skilled warriors of two powerful clans at his back. He could already make out the forms of the Otsutsuki commanders rushing towards them. They had to be put down because if even half of them reached their formation then their close quarter combat would result into the ninjas suffering severe casualties. A price they could not afford to pay under any situation.

Fortunately, King Naruto had anticipated quite a few of these scenarios and had prepared each and everyone of his men for the same. It was why there was no unnecessary panic or hesitation in the hearts of Kakashi's vanguard as they were about to clash against their feared enemy.

Behind them, their comrades continued to keep the bulk of the enemy army pinned under heavy bombardment from the land and sky. It was a new concept of land artillery and aerial bombardment that had been invented during this war, one which might just give their side a small edge against their overwhelming foe.

He grinned when several hundred shuriken and kunai whizzed past them courtesy of the accurate Uchiha warriors making the charging Otsutuski abruptly stop and suddenly rotate at rapid speed expelling great amount of chakra that destroyed any attack that would have harmed them. But it also gave Kakashi and the Senjus a precious few seconds to close the distance completely.

 **"Raikiri!"**

One of the Otsutsuki had just finished his rotational defense when a lance of lightning shot forward from Kakashi's left arm. He managed to sidestep a little thereby saving his heart from getting impaled but the attack still connected with his chest making him cough blood. Kakashi never gave his opponent any quarter as he charged past him with his tanto cleaving the shocked Otsutsuki's head off.

His victory earned him the wrath of another Otsutuki as the female warrior instantly appeared inside his space and delivered a bone crushing palm to Kakashi's chest only to scream in agony as the Hatake dissolved into lightning and electrocuted her in the process. The real Kakashi emerged from beneath the ground and cleaved her in half mercilessly.

He risked a glance across the battlefield and flinched on seeing four Senjus and three Uchiha lying dead on the ground. The remaining were trying their best to murder 16 Otsutsuki but were only making minimal progress.

Two Otsutsuki also lay dead on the field, so atleast his comrades hadn't died in vain.

Kakashi flinched when a few Otsutsuki shifted away from the frontlines and instead unleashed their deadly _Vaccum Air Palm_ attacks right at the skies. Two of the summoning birds were instantly murdered leading to their respective Namikaze riders being plunged to a gruesome death on the ground. The remaining three Namikaze riders didn't let their grief overpower their rationality and instead distanced themselves away across the battlefield to wreck havoc on the enemy forces, in an area where the Otsutsuki couldn't reach them.

But their defenses were weakening, a stark proof of which was the renewed assault of the Otsutsuki army. Leading the assault where the mad Kaguya whose bloodthirsty eyes unnerved Kakashi for he saw the sheer madness in them.

He gripped his tanto fiercely as he remembered the promise he had made to his King.

Biting his thumb, he performed a quick set of hand seals.

 **"Summoning Jutsu!"**

Six of the Otsutsuki cried out in pain and surprise as vicious ninja dogs appeared beside their feet only to pierce their sharp teeth into flesh and bone. That momentary lapse was enough for the Uchiha and Senju warriors to pierce their swords into their foes. Their heads rolled to the ground earning a loud cheer from the remaining ninja forces in the rear.

The last ten Otsutsuki warriors glanced at each other before simply retreating back into their charging army, content to have their superior numbers overwhelm the enemy.

Kakashi stood atop a three headed dog summon watching as the rest of the surviving Uchiha and Senju gathered around him. A smirk graced his lips as he could not help but admire the irony, all his life his clansmen had served both of these clans and today he the son of a minor lord was leading them in battle.

"Kakashi, regroup!"

Despite his urge to fight, the Hatake warrior obeyed Hanzo's command and retreated alongside his surviving fighters back into their own ranks. He glanced at the left flank and saw Danzo had also summoned his own partner: Baku, even Hanzo had mounted atop his own Salamander while the rest of their men readied themselves.

Not a moment later, the enemy was upon them.

"HOLD THE LINE!"

* * *

Mikoto gingerly opened her eyes and hesitantly glanced around to see her two other friends doing the same. The three of them gasped when they saw the state of the battlefield.

Their army was almost finished.

The beach was now turned into a mass grave where thousands of ninja clones alongside Otsutsuki forces had been crushed to death. But while the clones died, the dead rose back up again.

Only two thousand clones had survived the devastating attack and were now staring in horror as their enemy gathered their strength to surround them from all sides.

Looking ahead, Mikoto saw Naruto was the only reason they had survived as their king stood before them to protect them from that attack with the help of opening a seamless space time dimension.

But when they saw the Kyuubi lying beneath the Otsutsuki queen's knees, they knew it was over.

Naruto had watched his enemy use her gravitational attack to destroy the majority of his forces, using the shock and awe she yanked the Kyuubi towards her with the help of her Rinnegan piercing the beast all across its body with the help of her chakra rods.

The difference in power and strength was too great for them to ignore any longer.

 **"Naruto...get...away...from...here...save...yourself!"** urged the beast, as two more rods pierced his abdomen yet he hoped his friend would listen to him.

Commander Mifune and the remaining clone forces started falling back to take up defensive positions around their king and his friends. They watched as the enemy swarmed them from all sides effectively trapping them.

It was the end.

The Kingsguard stepped beside their friend and king only to watch him grip his ancestral sword tightly.

The wounded dragon also screeched angrily as the enemies got closer and closer.

"Your orders, my king?" asked Shisui calmly,

He got his answer when a monstrous chakra erupted across the battlefield.

"Leave it to me"

A beam of golden chakra pierced the dark skies and the oceans trembled as a massive form rose from the earth. Hinata Otsutsuki narrowed her eyes in anger and disbelief as the monstrosity arose.

The lone dragon had merged with the entity with its entire body covered in dark golden armor. Its large wings extended from the back of the humanoid warrior and in its right hand it held a celestial sword which was the true extension of Dawn.

Even Kurama despite his pain was relieved to see the Susanoo be reborn. It was eerily similar to the one Indra had wielded in his time with its torso, arms, and legs in human form while its head was that of a dragon. The amount of chakra possessed by this entity was enough to make even the Otsutsuki forces take a step back.

 _"How can he create this with just one Mangekyo? It's impossible"_ thought Hinata in disbelief,

She narrowed her Byakugan and saw the massive amount of chakra that had not only formed but made this Susanoo was in part provided by Naruto's chakra and the other by Indra as well as every Uchiha leader's chakra stored chakra in Dawn itself.

She was not facing one man but an entire clan across generations.

She looked into his eyes and shivered when that lone eye glared at her murderously and when the beast roared...

 _The Land of Water trembled._


	43. The Final Choice

**Thank you for the support. Hope you continue it.**

 **Music Recommendation: The Way (Instrumental) by Zack Hemsey {Youtube}**

 **Two more chapters to go before the end, including the epilogue. Please be patient and calm, I'll give this story the ending that it deserves.**

 **Chapter 43**

 **The Final Choice**

* * *

Kaksahi roughly crashed on the battlefield coughing blood, and as he tried to regain his bearings he saw his comrades viciously trying to keep the Otsutsuki horde at bay. Nearly half of their troops had perished in the melee courtesy of the Gentle Fist of the Otsutsuki but for every ninja or Samurai that was killed, the Otsutsuki lost 10 of their own including a few of their own clansmen.

He roughly tried to get back up only to quickly bring his tanto forward in order to cleave off the heads of the two dead thralls that tried to jump over him.

Chaos.

It was visible all over the battlefield as the two sides butchered each other. His own Dog summon had fought valiantly, killing hundreds of Otsutsuki thralls before it was struck down by bloodthirsty Kaguya.

The same madmen who were now charging towards him.

Kakashi glanced at his limp left arm knowing it was not just broken but most of the chakra points had been sealed off courtesy of an Otsutsuki warrior, in return Kakashi had stabbed the woman in the throat.

His chest felt heavy, thankfully his body armor had blocked the worst of the damage one of the Otsutsuki had tried to inflict on him. It had saved his heart from exploding outright but could not stop the fracturing of atleast three of his ribs. He was bleeding internally and his chakra was running low.

Yet he charged at his enemies with nothing but courage in his heart. Ducking a strike aimed at his neck, he blocked another sword aimed at his chest before twisting himself around his first opponent only to stab the man in the balls. The Kaguya screamed but was quickly silenced with a merciless lightning strike that fried his brain. His partner brought down a vertical slash at Kakashi which the Hatake barely blocked. So powerful was the blow that it brought Kakashi to his knees, his enemy kicked him right in the throat.

Kakashi gasped.

The chakra powered kick damaged his neck muscles and he struggled to breath even as he crashed back on the bloodied ground. His vision was getting hazy as panic set in, he could barely hear his laughing enemy approaching towards him.

The Kaguya stepped before him, his sword raised high in the air. Kakashi closed his eyes knowing he had done his duty towards his king as best as he could. But the blow never came, he gingerly opened his eyes to see a sword lodged right through the Kaguya's mouth from the back. As the enemy ninja crumbled, Danzo swarmed in Kakashi's vision and the Shimura heir quickly offered his hand which Kakashi accepted as he was hauled back up to his feet.

"Can you still fight?" asked Danzo, even as he battled away two dead thralls with his sword in one reflexive strike.

"Do...I...have...a...choice?" croaked Kakashi, gods did his throat hurt!

Danzo gave a grim smile just as his summon Baku came charging towards them. The gigantic beast crushed dozens of enemies in its path before standing before Kakashi and its master. Danzo quickly jumped atop the beast and glanced at Kakashi.

They both saw Hanzo and his paltry force getting hammered from all fronts. The dead were literally throwing themselves at the Salamander summon forcing the beast back, already it was badly injured and its master was busy facing off against four Otsutsuki. The men around him doing all they could to stop the unending tide. If that flank collapsed, the enemy would have a clear path towards the barrier holding the tailed beasts.

"This is madness" whispered a kunoichi,

Kakashi could not help but accept his fellow comrade's assessment. Hanzo's flank was about to collapse and while Danzo's summon had forced the enemy on the left flank to retreat they would be back again and this time the ninjas just didn't have the numbers to hold them off.

"We have to crush the enemy's right flank!"

Nearly every last survivor gasped in disbelief on hearing Danzo's command, just one glance at the Shimura showed he was not joking.

"Don't you see how many of them are there, Captain?" asked a shocked Sand ninja,

"Doesn't matter. If even one flank collapses we are finished. If the enemy reaches the barrier, all of this would have been for nothing" barked Danzo furiously,

"How the fuck do you plan on breaking through them?" questioned another furious Senju,

"ALONE IF I HAVE TO!"

Danzo's summon roared without warning as the Shimura heir dashed towards Hanzo's flank. Kakashi cursed and looked at the stunned warriors around him.

"I'll hold this flank! Support him and we might just survive a bit longer...stand there like cowards and we shall _all_ die screaming!" roared Kakashi,

That snapped them out of their trance and Kakashi was relieved on seeing Danzo tearing through dozens of enemy lines with the help of his summon. A moment later, a small force of 30 ninjas dashed after him while Kakashi steeled himself with the few fighters he still had as the enemy on his flank charged again.

He grinned when Danzo's summon roared a wave of fire obliterating hundreds of enemy forces in one breath. Before he could relish in the small victory, Kakashi froze.

A monstrous snake jumped from beneath the ground and swallowed Danzo whole.

 **"CAPTAIN DANZO!"**

The men following the Shimura heir felt their worst nightmare coming true.

The snake was still crashing towards the ground after swallowing its prey when its body was torn apart in a blast of flesh and blood. A one armed Danzo covered in red jumped and landed on his still charging Baku summon.

 **"CHARGE!"**

Kakashi had always known the Shimura clan were vicious warriors but to see Danzo never lose focus and still lead his men into enemy ranks after _that_ shook him.

The men following Danzo also shared those inspiring thoughts as they roared after their commander and fell upon the enemy forces near Hanzo's flank in a flurry of weapons and jutsu. Danzo effectively used his monstrous summon to scatter and stomp enemy forces creating panic among their ranks while his force immediately attacked the Otsutsuki surrounding Hanzo and the dead hounding the Salamander summon.

It was one of the most _maddening_ attacks Kakashi had ever seen in his short life.

While that flank was now slowly becoming steady, Kakashi grimaced as he saw the sheer number of enemy about to fall upon his flank. He doubted he could stop them but it was that or to give up and die.

The men and women around him gulped nervously as the enemy got closer.

They grouped together waiting for the massive wall of enemies to slam into them only to be surprised when a wave of fire rained down upon the enemy's vanguard. Surprised, Kakashi looked a few feet above him and saw a large space dimension portal coming to life.

The first three people that came charging outside were all dressed in armor and bore the roaring sigil of the three headed dragon.

And they were not alone.

Mifune of the Samurai jumped outside the portal and was followed by hundreds upon hundreds of clone forces. For the men defending the barrier, it was a miracle from the gods itself as nearly 2000 clone forces lead by the Kingsguard and Mifune arrived to their aid.

The nearest enemies could only scream in terror as they were set on fire.

Shisui and Itachi together confronted one of the Otsutsuki commanders and drove their swords in the man's head and heart thereby ending his life.

Mikoto and Mifune fell upon the enemy forces with their clone army at their backs.

Kakashi collapsed in relief and saw Shisui glancing at him from afar.

"Thank you" he whispered, echoing the thoughts of his own followers.

To his dismay, Shisui and Itachi had grim looks on their faces as they prepared themselves to crush the remaining few thousand enemy forces.

"It was the King"

That was all they answered before leaping into the fray and for the first time Kakashi felt hope bubble in his chest as the enemy forces started to get decimated under the skillful command of the Kingsguard.

But if they were here with such a large clone force, then their king was all alone against the bulk of the enemy army and their queen.

Kakashi could only hope Naruto had a few thousands clones under his command for fighting against them all would be problematic, to say the least.

But he had to have faith in his king and with that determination, Kakashi again leapt into the battle.

* * *

 _The light._

Gods, what _light_ it was.

For several long and painful minutes, it had felt like a star had suddenly died and filled the world one last time with its illumination.

When its shine finally subsided, a surprising sight awaited every surviving soul on the beach of the Land of Water.

For the Otsutsuki queen, it was a landscape of horror. Nearly half of her forces had been charred to ashes and the remaining were desperately scratching at their eyes as if blinded. Even the dead were screaming in pain which was rarely seen.

Most importantly, the ninja forces around the king were gone.

She extended her senses and found them emerging on the other battlefield where the allied forces were trying to detonate a massive Biju bomb.

Her opponent stood before her in all his glory, his Susanoo still stood tall and strong. But it was his eye...

The Byakugan of hers clearly saw his chakra reserves plummeting at a rapid level, his eye was crying rivers of blood and she could see his body muscles tearing themselves apart to maintain that beastly Susanoo of his.

She grinned.

She had no need of defeating him, she just had to outlast him in battle before he eventually dropped dead with chakra exhaustion. At his current rate it wouldn't take more than ten minutes at best, in her eyes it was still a miracle he was still standing.

If she had to guess, his vision was deteriorating quite rapidly judging from the slight twitch of his eye.

"You're a fool. You might have given your men a few more moments to live but it shall be your doom" she declared, her fist clenched making the Kyuubi scream as it was yanked on all four as she stepped on its head.

"That's the difference between us, I guess. When you choose to lead, you are responsible for the lives of those who follow you. As King, they are all my children and it is my duty to look after them. It is my job to worry about their lives...if only you had understood this then this war wouldn't have happened. The threat of your clan returning to earth might be real and you would be surprised how humanity would have rallied behind you, only if you had tried a different approach" lamented Naruto, earning a mocking laugh from her.

"As if the opinion of _squabbling_ humans matters. Your race has never seen the bigger picture, your kind is just a step above monkeys. Even those creatures are better for they know their _betters_. And like the rest of your race, you too shall die" said Hinata fiercely,

The King cursed as dozens of wooden tendrils sprouted from the ground and started wrapping themselves around the legs of his Susanoo. Many were burning away due to the sheer chakra they were clashing against, but many more were strangling themselves around the legs.

Naruto raised the glowing form of **Dawn** ready to slash them away when he felt that violent _pull._

He could only gasp in surprise when his entire Susanoo was yanked from the ground and sent flying towards Hinata. He flinched on seeing Kurama being forced to form a Bijudama. His lone Mangekyo could already predict the seconds before that bomb would hit his Susanoo and unlike his opponent, he couldn't absorb chakra.

With a furious roar, he fought against the power pulling him and managed to make his Susanoo flap its monstrous wings thereby taking a timely leap into the air and barely able to dodge the Bijudama which sailed right past him, tearing across the beach and detonating into the interior of the Land of Water with a mighty roar.

He flipped down in the air making his monstrous Susanoo bring the power of **Dawn** right above the Kyuubi's head. His friend would understand why he had to fight against him.

 _Hang in there, Kurama. This will all be over soon enough._

Naruto was again surprised as his regal sword met a layer of bone instead of Kurama's head. Looking around, he saw Hinata consuming large quantities of chakra from the beast and covering it with a full blown human skeleton made of powerful bones alone. It encased the fox in a protective manner as it sprouted several bony hands from all over its hideous form.

 _Bone Release. Just like Kimimaro._

Mad laughter echoed across the battlefield as the full power of the Otsutsuki queen erupted.

The Kyuubi lashed out with all nine of his tails at once forcing Naruto to conjure a shield of black flames in his Susanoo's only free hand. The two opponents met in a fierce clash.

The King made his dragon headed Susanoo unleash scorching flames towards three of the Kyuubi's tail while he swatted away another three with the help of **Dawn**. With his shield, he blocked the last three if barely.

The fox roared in agony as several of its tales were set on fire.

Naruto flinched on hearing his friend's pain and that slight hesitation costed him as dozens of bony hands descended upon his Susanoo. He managed to block a few at the last moment, but three of them breached his inner defense and struck at his Susanoo's armored chest.

 _CRACK_

He vomited blood and felt the sickening sound of his chest muscles being torn. The Susanoo lost a layer of its armor and to Naruto's horror he realized he couldn't replenish it as aggressive chakra of the Otsutsuki queen had festered the impacted area. Her energy was now slowly seeping across his Susanoo, consuming it like a hungry beast.

 **"SHINRA TENSEI!"**

He was sent crashing across the ocean by the Rinnegan's power and before he could even process his new injuries, he saw a rain falling from the skies.

 **"Bone Release: Thousand Slashes!"**

Naruto hastily brought up his shield as monstrous bone fragments rained down upon him. The bone armored Kyuubi charged at him forming up another one of those lethal Bijudama.

He dodged the attack and summoned Kamui around Kurama's legs. He closed his eyes as his friend screamed for his legs were torn off sending him crashing to the ground. Naruto charged forward with the help of his wings intending to settle this quickly but his hopes were dashed when the skeleton warrior covering his friend pointed several of its bony hands forward.

 **"Chakra Receivers!"**

Thousands of black chakra rods were unleashed towards the king, having already seen the mighty kyuubi be defeated and subdued by these rods was all the proof Naruto needed to stay away from every single one of these rods.

But for all her power and talent, his enemy had made a critical mistake out of ignorance or arrogance.

They had allowed _him_ to choose his battlefield.

Naruto raised a single finger.

 **"Water Release: Water Wave"**

A small tsunami arose from the massive ocean tearing through the entire volley of black chakra rods but the attack didn't stop there as the King made another hand seal.

 **"Water Release: Ten Thousand Bullets!"**

The ocean itself answered his call as the very air and sea around them transformed into an army of water bullets before suddenly attacking the bone armored kyuubi from every direction.

 **"Hakkesho!"**

To everyone surprise, the monstrous creature rotated at rapid speed with its bony hands expelling a wave of chakra in all directions battling away the assault of an army of water bullets. It left the beast open for Naruto's next attack...

 **"Water Release: World of Whirlpools!"**

Hinata cursed as the ocean beneath her feet transformed into a raging whirlpool that instantly swallowed half of her bone warrior alongwith the Kyuubi. It would seem her opponent's prowess with Water Release was not exaggerated, after all.

She was forced to continuously defend herself as not just water bullets but large water dragons also rose from the sea hitting her on every side. All the while the very ocean started to swallow her monster inch by inch.

 **"SHINRA TENSEI!"**

She grinned when her attack tore away every jutsu attacking her and just in time as the Susanoo appeared behind her. With a mighty roar, she forced the Kyuubi to use its tails to strike his own friend down.

Naruto blocked two of the tails with the flat of his sword, batted another four away with his Amaterasu shield before twisting the Susanoo around to stab his heavenly sword through the groin of the bone covered warrior and the Kyuubi.

He was disappointed when an entire layer of bones surrounded the spot where his sword connected and he was barely able to make a hole a few feet wide.

He realized his mistake when he sensed the chakra explosion.

The Susanoo retreated backwards as an army of bone shards exploded at it in point blank range. Naruto quickly summoned Kamui and absorbed all the projectiles before they did any lasting damage.

He panted harshly, gods how long had it been? To him it already felt as if an entire hour had passed when in truth it had barely been three minutes. He now bitterly realized as to how someone like Hashirama could have lost against Hinata Otsutsuki.

She had too much power in that body of hers and combine that with her twin dojutsu...she was a force of _death_ itself.

She grinned as she created several bone swords and commanded not just her creature's bone hands but also everyone of the Kyuubi's tails to take up each of them. A savage grin graced her lips as she eyed Naruto with a murderous grin plastered on her beautiful lips.

He transformed his Amaterasu shield into a dark flaming sword and raised Dawn in his right arm.

They met with another thunderous clash.

His twin swords zoomed forward cutting through air and two of the bone warrior's hands. Hinata had seen the attack coming with the help of her Byakugan but had not been fast enough to stop it. For a Susanoo of this size, it was dangerously fast.

She willed her remaining swords to attack him from three sides: Up, Left and Right.

What happened next left her speechless.

The flaming dark sword twirled into the Susanoo's hands at lightning speed cracking away each and everyone of the bone hands and its bone swords. On the other hand, **Dawn** did the same before the swords were forced to come together in a defensive formation as the Biju clashed its tails against them once more. Again breaking the attack, the Susanoo delivered a crushing kick towards bone warrior's chest sending it crashing away.

Hinata was barely able to raise her remaining two swords, both of which were destroyed courtesy of **Dawn** and the Amaterasu sword. Her scream echoed across the battlefield as the two holy swords buried themselves clean through the bone warrior's groin.

It had been a mistake to challenge him in a Clash of Swords, he was too fast and too strong with the blades for her liking.

His Susanoo opened its mouth and the dragon inside launched a fiery volley of flames.

She grinned as she easily absorbed the attack and seized the opening she had been waiting for.

While, it might have been folly to challenge him in swordplay, it had brought his Susanoo right inside her close range.

 _"Two Palms!"_

Naruto grunted when two bony palms connected with his Susanoo's left hand making him lose control over his flaming dark sword. The sword flickered and was soon extinguished as Hinata descended upon him.

 _"Four Palms!"_

 _"Eight Palms!"_

 _"Sixteen Palms!"_

 _"Thirty Two Palms!"_

 _"Sixty Four Palms!"_

The strikes came one after another, more painful than the one before as it rapidly inflicted poisonous chakra across his Susanoo while destroying his control over the monstrous form little by little.

 **"Divine Slash!"**

Hinata and her bone warrior clad Kyuubi were sent crashing away as **Dawn** delivered a horizontal slash that teared itself through the bone warrior's chest cleanly.

Naruto coughed even more blood this time as he collapsed to one knee, the effects of his enemies strikes were now taking their toll over his body as he felt her chakra invading his system and fight to establish dominance. He fought her inside his body just as viciously as he did against her out on the battlefield.

But it was a losing battle.

 _She was just too strong._

His chakra reserves were dwindling and his entire body ached with pain in order to maintain the Susanoo. All these years, he had survived on numerous battlefields not just because of his skills but because he knew whom to fight and whom not to.

To his shame, this opponent was far stronger than him.

Maybe with Madara and Hashirama's help he could have put her down, but alone it was an uphill task. Nonetheless, he knew he had made a promise to his friends and comrades.

He had to kill this woman.

 _The third and final choice._

He paused as Priestess's Shizuka's prophecy about him came back to haunt him. She had foreseen three instances in his life when his decisions would necessarily change his and the world's destiny at large.

The first was the night when he had to violently put down those Uchiha rebels led by his own grand-uncle. It earned him the name _Kinslayer_ and unbearable scorn from his own people, but it kept the Uchiha clan united.

The second was the moment when he had to give up his quest of _vengeance_ against the Senjus and ally with them for the sake of peace. He married a Senju, became a king and lead mankind through one of its most darkest wars.

And now it was time for the final choice.

From the corner of his eyes, he saw the remaining 20,000 something enemy forces encircling him from all sides across the ocean. While the bone armored Kyuubi stepped forward.

He saw the silent pleading in his trapped friend's eyes knowing that staying here to fight would only end in one outcome.

"Last chance, Uchiha Naruto. Surrender and live... _Refuse and die_ " challenged Hinata,

For a cursed moment, he wanted to take her offer. All these years he had fought battle after battle, earned love and hatred but never found the peace he so desperately wanted.

"I can't defeat her, can I?" he asked outloud to himself, and saw the forms of Indra's lingering soul alongside many of his former ancestors appear around him.

Even saying those bitter words hurt because it meant he had failed.

But it was the truth.

"No, you cannot" admitted Indra,

It was like the final blow that made the young king collapse to his knees on top of his dragon's head. The weight of the entire war and all that was lost finally crushing him altogether.

The ghosts of his ancestors watched over him as he fought back the lump in his throat and the burning in his lone eye.

"All...this...time...I...kept...on...fighting...in...the...hopes...of...finding...the...peace...I...always...wanted. There were so many times when I felt death would be so much better...and yet here I am, this close to my dreams only to never see them getting fulfilled" lamented Naruto,

Some part of his heart wanted to go back home and spend his remaining days with Tsunade. He wanted to protect his daughters and teach his son all he knew.

He wanted to see his brother and father.

 _Madara._

A faint wistful smile came upon his lips as he thought about the few battles they both had fought alongside each other. Of all the times Madara had stood by him when everyone else hadn't. If only...

"I wish I can see them all again" he whispered remorsefully,

"The choice is still yours to make, Naruto. We are the past and you are the present. You can always write your own history" advised one of the other Uchiha kindly,

Naruto went silent for several long moments before his voice barely above a whisper was heard by Indra.

"Can you seem them?" asked the young king,

At first, the Uchiha patriarch couldn't see what the boy was hinting at until one by one the forms started to take shape. A few at first, then a dozen, followed by hundreds and finally thousands upon thousands more. All with haunting looks surrounding the lonely king from every side. Their sorrowful eyes staring upon the young boy.

Naruto suppressed his tears on seeing so many familiar faces around him.

People that should be alive but now stared at him with their ghostly faces.

Naori, Takeshi, Kagami, Tobirama, Itama, and the thousands of warriors of both shinobi and civilian birth who died fighting for him.

 _His comrades._

He looked back at Indra and his other ancestors who could also see what he was seeing.

"They are watching me. They want to see the objective they gave their lives for to be fulfilled, they want _justice_ from their king" whispered Naruto, now that he said those words he could feel the burden fully resting on his shoulders.

For them, the war was not yet over.

When he closed his eyes, he saw Tsunade more beautiful than ever cradling a small bundle in her arms. She smiled at him as two little girls arrived by her side. Both had pale skin like him, their eyes dark like their ancestors, their hair black and brown respectively.

They all smiled at him and extended their hands towards him, even that tiny infant with a happy gurgle.

He felt his heart shatter.

He opened his eye and saw Indra kneeling in front of him.

"It was all a dream, wasn't it? A _wishful_ illusion...nothing more" whispered Naruto, his voice brimming with sorrow and defeat.

He felt someone lay a firm but comfortable hand on his shoulder and on looking up he saw Indra staring at him with nothing but pride and determination.

"You have fought well, my child. You have brought honor and glory to our clan, united the world when no one else could, it's only because of you that mankind is still standing. I know it hurts, I who watched my own children be torn apart again and again for centuries, to have my hopes and dreams be crushed again and again until you came along. I know what your dream means to you and we all shall support whatever choice you make. But you already know what needs to be done here" advised Indra kindly with a pained smile,

He received a hesitant nod from the young monarch as Indra helped the boy to get back on his feet.

They both saw the world covered in darkness with heavy clouds weeping from the skies. Naruto looked back at Indra and saw his ancestor give him a pained but determined look.

"Bring hope back into this world" whispered all his ancestors,

Indra looked deep into his eyes revealing his final and ultimate choice.

 _ **"Give up on your dreams and...die"**_

It didn't break his heart unlike he feared before.

Instead, he felt a strange acceptance seep into his heart as he realized some part of his soul always knew that this could possibly be his destiny. Or maybe he was desperately trying to find some meaning where there was none.

It didn't matter.

Death was a part of every shinobi's life.

He glanced across the battlefield where the sea was raging, the clouds were thundering, the enemy army surrounding him and getting closer, the enemy queen still waiting for him on top of her monster.

There was nobody there.

Not his friends, not his family, not his comrades, not his wife or children.

Just him.

He looked at the heavens again hoping to see the visage of Izuna one more time, but his beloved brother was not there as well. In these godforsaken lands, he was all alone far from home and away from everyone he had loved or cared for.

 _So, this is where I die._

He closed his eye allowing the pain and sorrow to overwhelm him. He watched each and everyone of his dreams be destroyed inside of him and it was the most agonizing pain he had ever experienced in his life.

 _From acceptance came pain._

 _From pain came anger._

 _From anger came hatred._

 _From hatred came power._

Tears of blood fell from his eye as the very sea around him started to boil, the air started to roar, the land started to tremble and the skies screamed.

He opened his eye to save the world.

 **To awaken the power of salvation.**


	44. The End

**Thank you for the support. It means a lot.**

 **Honestly, it is no easy task to complete a story. Trust me, it's a lot of work but the end result is worth it. Exactly a year ago while watching the Madara and Hashirama story, this idea came to my mind. To see it almost getting finished is a dream come true.**

 **I'll probably leave a more detailed author's note after this chapter or in the epilogue that will come after this.**

 **Music Recommendation for this Chapter: Balmorhea-The Winter (Youtube).**

 **Chapter 44**

 **The End**

* * *

 **(Two Days Earlier)**

Tsunade hesitantly walked towards her good brother's chambers in order to check on his condition. As she walked through the corridor, she saw a small group of Hatake, Namikaze and two Uchiha guards standing outside the door. They all bowed to her and she gave them an acknowledging nod in return.

These past few days had been strange to say the least.

Lord Tajima was struggling to keep peace in the city while also managing the horde of refugees. Their food was running low and there was not enough shelter to protect everyone from the raging snowstorms. Most importantly, the people had watched their king and his small force march off to what was most probably a suicide mission.

They were getting restless believing that their king was gone forever and it only placed more burden on Lord Tajima.

The Uchiha patriarch had been kind to her, even treating her with respect if not affection. Tsunade knew it was quite awkward for the older man to have her as his daughter by law for his entire life he had been busy killing off Tsunade's family. Not that her own family was any different but Tajima had requested her to heal Madara.

She had seen the desperation in the older man's eyes and it had made one thing clear to her.

Tajima didn't believe his youngest son was ever going to return home.

The Uchiha leader had resigned himself and was trying his best to keep his crumbling world from falling apart. If Naruto died, then Madara would be King if she failed to deliver a boy. Even if she did, she feared for the child's life for it would just be a babe while Madara was a grown man. A powerful leader whom many supported, and in these desperate times they would flock to him rather than an infant who couldn't even feed himself much less humanity.

She protectively placed her hand upon her belly as she opened the door, as soon as she stepped inside she was shocked to see the nurse watching over the Uchiha lord was unconscious.

Most of all, Madara was awake.

He seemed surprised by her entering the room and she instantly noticed he had already donned his battle armor. Their eyes met and she knew right then that the man knew exactly what happened during the time he was injured.

"You shouldn't be here" he said harshly, even as he continued his search across his room.

"You know" she whispered, earning a curt nod from him as he hastily grabbed a very familiar sword.

Madara flinched on seeing tears arrive in the Senju woman's eyes as he held _Raijin no Ken_ in his hands.

Her brother's sword.

"Your brother gave it to me" he said hesitantly, not sure what to say. He had never been good in dealing with emotional people, women even more so. Gods, it should be Naruto here to console his wife and instead the brave fool had marched to his death.

"Was...he...in...pain...when?" she asked him, her weeping eyes haunting his very soul.

"Yes"

He had watched Tobirama die, it was thanks to the Senju's sacrifice that they had come so far. Madara glanced at the unconscious nurse whose mind he had ransacked for information. Knowing that the woman before him had lost all but one of her brothers, most of her clan, and possibly even her husband made him feel something for her.

It made him step forward and raise his hand to place it comfortably on her shoulder but he stopped himself at the last moment. They hardly knew each other and he didn't know if the gesture would be appreciated.

"I couldn't save your brother but I will save mine. I will get your husband back even if it's the last thing I do" he promised fiercely,

She looked into his dark eyes and saw the fierce determination.

"You're not fit to fight" she protested, he had made a remarkable recovery but he was not fit to fight. Not by a long shot.

"I belong with my brother. If I lose him..."

Tsunade had always heard stories of how much Madara loved his last and youngest brother. But now watching this man who had just barely dodged death still willing to go against it again just for his brother...

"You'll never reach the Land of Water. Naruto took the dragon with him" she suggested, making him curse outloud.

To her shock, he closed his eyes and when he opened them they were burning with the Mangekyo Sharingan. Even in this condition, Madara Uchiha still had this much power was something she had never imagined in her wildest dreams.

"He needs my help. I cannot just sit here and wait for him to die. Most of my wounds are healed but my chakra pathway is still recuperating. I can reach the Land of Water on my Susanoo in two days, even lesser if someone supplies me chakra" he rambled, as he stepped towards his wardrobe to gather his remaining weapons.

What he didn't realize was the idea that he had planted in her head. Naruto had refused her aid again and again fearing her presence on the battlefield would put their baby in danger but she had been nearly useless sitting here and healing strangers while her own husband faced his death.

"Let me come with you" she insisted, making Madara stare at her as if she had lost her mind.

"No. My brother would kill me if I risked-"

He turned around and came face to face with a stormy pair of hazel eyes as a hand grabbed him by the shoulder. Madara winced against the monstrous pressure as his healing bones groaned in pain.

"That was _not_ a request" she commanded icily,

He looked deep into her eyes for several long moments before he laughed. Tsunade was about to punch the arrogant man to oblivion when he gave her a respectful nod.

"You're alright, Senju. My brother chose a worthy queen"

Tsunade was surprised to hear those frank but honest words. It made her realize how different Madara was to his brother, with Naruto it was always complicated. He was a mystery she had to solve little by little everyday but Madara was a sword.

A very powerful sword.

 _Sharp, Straight and Loyal._

She was again surprised when the door to his chambers opened again as a group of armed warriors stepped inside.

Kiara Hatake, Daen Nara, Rei Namikaze, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Tobi Shimura, and Shiki Aburame.

A few of them were still recovering from their injuries but they were still here, armed and ready to follow the man they believed in.

 _Madara._

The small squad including Tsunade saw the eldest son of Tajima Uchiha stare at them with a ferocity that ignited a new wave of determination in their eyes obliterating any doubts or fears they had about their mission.

"Let's bring our people home"

Moments later, the city bells were ringing loudly and thousands of shinobi stared in awe as a monstrous shadow flew past them. It had the face of a demonic bull with arms and the body of a human warrior with wings. Shrouded in dark flames and malicious chakra, the creature roared much to the discomfort of not just the city populace but also the small squad currently flying inside the beast.

Tsunade had never felt her chakra drain so rapidly as she supplied Madara the energy, and in return the Uchiha let them fly past hundreds of miles at rapid pace.

The rest of the squad could only watch in silence as the Land of Fire started to flow past them.

Most of all they were silenced when the bloodthirsty look in Madara's eyes and felt pity for the ones about to face his wrath.

However, the one most surprised was none other than Tsunade herself.

In the back of her mind, she never had a very good impression of Madara Uchiha. The man was a conqueror and prone to harsh decisions, he would also benefit the most if Naruto died in the Land of Water as that would give Madara the chance to rule the world.

Yet, the same bloodthirsty man had ignored all caution and charged off deep into the enemy's territory.

"Why?" she asked curiously, and for the first time saw a soft expression arrive in the older man's eyes.

"When our brothers died, everything changed. People looked at me and Naruto very differently because we awakened the Sharingan. Even our own father and aunt who cared for us couldn't help but try to shape our destiny. Everybody wanted something from us be they our family, allies or enemies. It made us realize that we only had each other" confessed Madara sadly,

He looked at her and she could not help but witness the fierce love he had for his brother. It was an emotion more powerful than anything she had ever seen.

"My brother has sacrificed a lot in his life for me, our clan and our damned race. He deserves the happiness this cursed life never gave him. He deserves to see his child, be with you and lead our people. I will give him that even if it means I have to drag his stupid ass kicking and screaming from that shithole" said Madara fiercely, his voice strangely sounded remorseful which Tsunade had never imagined hearing.

"How will we get him out of there, much less face the enemy? Not all of us are in our best shape. What's your plan?" warned Tsunade, and saw him clenching his fist before he looked at her with barely contained fury.

"My plan is to fight until they are all dead or my brother is in my arms. My plan is to fight, to try, and get my brother out of there. I will do that or die trying" promised Madara,

A soft smile came upon her lips as she realized one thing that Hashirama had always tried to explain to her but she could never grasp it.

Madara was many things but his one redeeming trait was his love and loyalty. For all his power and fierceness, she saw the man was afraid. He didn't say it but his tense posture and restless eyes were a stark proof of that fear.

Madara Uchiha loved his brother more than anything in the world.

She smiled in relief and nodded at the man respectfully even as she increased the amount of her chakra into his body making the Susanoo fly even more faster.

"He's lucky to have you" she praised, and saw a small smile arrive on Madara's lips.

Memories of them training together, fighting on the battlefield, the moments when Naruto made harsh but right choices that saved their clan came flooding back in Madara's heart. His brother had always been loyal to their family and clan, had always made decisions that benefited them and the world at large no matter how much burden or scorn it earned him.

In a way, Naruto had prevented Madara and Tajima from continuing a losing war against the Senjus, his decision of making peace with the Senjus had rekindled Madara's prized friendship with Hashirama.

"I'm lucky to have him" whispered Madara, as he fought back the lump in his throat.

 _Hang in there, little brother._

* * *

 **(Land of Water: Present Time)**

Hinata Otsutsuki couldn't believe her eyes.

It was impossible for any mortal human to attain _that_ power on their own. Even her own was gifted to her by Kaguya before she was sealed away. The Sage had that power because he was the original ancestor of the Uchiha and Senju having both their bloodlines.

Then why was an Uchiha able to awaken that eye?

She could not help but ask herself that question as the earth and seas rumbled. She watched his Mangekyo get transformed into a very familiar purple ringed eye. Zetsu had always told her that only someone with Uchiha and Senju cells could awaken the Rinnegan and only through immense grief.

Then why was Naruto whose ancestral line never had any Senju blood or the lack of grief in the current situation be able to awaken this power?

She ransacked all information she had about the dragon king quickly and soon enough found the answer.

 _His wife._

Tsunade Senju was one of the most powerful Senjus in all of history. Her inhuman physical strength and healing abilities were legendary only surpassed by that of her eldest brother, Hashirama. Her blood was strong, perhaps even more stronger than Naruto's and she had married the man and was pregnant with his child. Those nights of physical intimacy with his wife must have been the time when he unknowingly came in touch with her DNA. It was barely enough but still had done the job of awakening his ultimate power.

And one look in his resigned eyes showed her the other condition to awaken this power was also fulfilled.

He had accepted death and destruction of his dreams to put her down.

He raised his palm forward and her world erupted in pain.

* * *

Kurama howled in pain as the very sea started to boil as large wasps of steam started to rise to the heavens. Many of the Otsutsuki minions screamed against the heat and pain while their commanders quickly ordered them back to the beach, having realized that this fight just went out of their league.

The fox through his pain and submission could hardly believe his own eyes as he watched his best friend awaken the Sage's power.

Before Kurama could ponder over his doubts, his world was consumed in a sea of pain.

* * *

Everything had changed.

The world which was previously a sea of colors was now nothing more than different forms of energy, all of it visible before his eye. He could feel the sheer amount of energy present in nature.

In the air, in the sky, in the sea, in the land...so much energy.

He looked at his own reflection in the sea and was barely able to make out his new eye. Judging from Hinata and Kurama's gaping looks of horror and shock, he had awakened the Rinnegan.

It was different.

He didn't know why but some part of his heart was at peace, a tranquility he had not experienced in his entire life. It gave him more inner strength and awareness about the world around him. He idly wondered if the Sage had also felt what he was feeling right now.

He glanced around and realized that he had to deal with the enemy army first before he confronted Hinata once and for all.

Most people thought the sea to be cold, dangerous and dark.

But there was also so much warmth hidden deep inside its heart. It gave life to every creature on earth while surrounding itself in darkness forever. A feeling he could experience very clearly with his own determination to set his own feelings aside for the sake of mankind.

He reached out to that warmth and it accepted his embrace wholeheartedly with a smile.

Their energies merged in an explosion of colors painting the world anew.

Screams echoed all across the battlefield as dozens of Otsutsuki thralls started to feel the change. The sea itself had started to boil unleashing steam and agony as thousands of years of warmth hidden under its heart answered its new master's summon.

The Otsutsuki commanders must have seen the enormous energy being unleashed from the darkness of the sea making their pale faces lose the last of their color. Their pale white eyes stared in horror across the ocean before landing at him fearfully.

 _"To the beach!"_

The army of dead instantly heeded their commander's call as Hayate Otsutsuki lead them to safety away from the monstrous energy rising from the sea threatening to burn them all to ashes.

Naruto watched the little creatures run but their movements were so slow, so pitiful in a vain effort to escape their fate. He heard another agonizing scream and saw a whirlpool had appeared around the Otsutsuki queen and her hideous creature of bone and the fox.

A second later thousands of years worth of heat pent up beneath the sea came charging to the surface.

The bone warrior screamed as its entire body started to melt away.

The Kyuubi roared in agony as large swaths of its skin was consumed instantly.

Hinata Otsutsuki yelled as she tried to save herself from the heat.

The rings in Naruto's sole eye started to turn and strangely he felt so many strings opening in front of him. He chose the nearest thread and was surprised to see himself and Hinata locked in a fierce battle. He watched her bone warrior be reformed again as she used the Kyuubi to launch a Bijudama right where his comrades were currently trying to detonate the Biju bomb.

He backed away and unknowingly stumbled upon another thread.

Again, this time he watched himself engaged in a battle of ninjutsu against the enemy queen until she summoned a damn meteor from the heavens and pummeled him into the sea.

Another thread, another possibility of him burning away half of her remaining army in one attack while she managed to inflict a deadly gash on his Susanoo warrior.

He winced as he felt large quantities of his chakra being consumed so quickly even as more and more threads opened up before him.

What is this?

"The Ultimate evolution of our eyes, Naruto" whispered Indra in awe, even as the Uchiha founder himself saw the series of threads before them waiting to be explored.

"What do you mean?" asked the king irritatedly, as he glanced through another thread only to wince in pain as the strain bore down on him.

"The Sharingan allows us to predict our enemies incoming attacks and their moves before they reach us. However, it's only halfway complete because we can only predict them after our enemy launches them or is about to launch them. But your power surpasses that weakness to gaze into the very future itself. Right now you are seeing the various possibilities of your battle against your enemy. Look into them all and choose the one most favorable to you" explained Indra seriously, making Naruto's eyes go wide as he realized the implications of his new power.

"The Eye of the Future" he whispered,

The possibilities were limitless, with this power he could not just rule the world but also defeat the Otsutsuki clan when they arrived on Earth for their conquest.

Eager, he opened his eye but instead of salvation he found an endless chasm.

 _A world of threads._

His mind nearly exploded as the chaos hit him faster than lightning. So many voices, so many futures, so many people...all of them whispering, yelling, crying, laughing, dying, being born.

It was not him traversing the chasm...but the chasm _consuming_ him.

A firm hand grabbed him from behind yanking him backwards just as the ground beneath his feet vanished. He gulped on seeing a wave of darkness enshrouding the chasm away.

He came back to his senses to see he was kneeling on his feet, his body drenched in sweat and a large portion of his chakra vanished. He grasped his eye as agonizing pain teared through every muscle in his body. He fought it back but it was the feeling of having every muscle in your body be set on fire.

Indra knelt beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder once more.

"This power is a double edged sword, my son. Even more dangerous than the Mangekyo for it would only render you blind through overuse, but this is a sinister temptation that would drive you mad at first before ending your life in the most painful ways. _Be cautious_ " warned Indra,

He received a terrified nod from the young king who seemed shaken from that brief moment when he had tried to see too far ahead in the future and almost got killed because of that mistake.

"Use as it you would a Kinjutsu" advised Indra, as the founder of the Uchiha again faded inside the Susanoo's corporeal form.

Naruto heeded that advice as he reconnected himself with the nearly limitless supply of natural energy around him. Before his very eyes, he saw nearly a 1000 replicas of himself emerge from the deep waters. Their sharp swords just like his own but their energy so different from his because they were not a part of his energy but that of nature's, given shape by his Rinnegan.

The clone army formed ranks on their own before marching straight in a uniformed fashion towards the retreating Otsutsuki forces.

He suddenly coughed more blood and felt a foreign chakra tearing through his body eager to reach his heart. It was so full of rage and hatred threatening to burn everything in its path. He held it at bay and saw Hinata Otsutsuki had managed to make her creature take to the skies and was now utterly furious.

At this rate, he only had a few minutes before he met his end.

Steeling himself, he grasped both his hands together. The knowledge was there at the back of his mind and his dojutsu was whispering it to him. Instead of resisting or trying to gain dominance, he simply allowed the energy to flow from his body allowing instincts and faith to take over.

 **"Bansho Ten'nin!"**

Hinata's bone warrior cracked wide open as a thundering mass went flying outside its protection. Her eyes widened when the now freed Kyuubi fell directly before her enemy's Susanoo. The monstrous humanoid warrior slashed its holy sword shattering all her chakra rods controlling the fox. The beast moaned in agony as it slowly started its efforts to rise back on its feet now that it was free.

She roared as she brought her broken bone warrior right atop the Susanoo.

Their blades clashed and she was pushed back even as she regenerated her bone warrior. Channeling more and more of her chakra, she allowed the beast to enlarge so much in mass that it ultimately had to separate into _four_ different clone replicas that soon surrounded the Susanoo and the wounded Kyuubi.

She clenched her fists again bringing down lightning from the sky and obliterating Naruto's water clone army before it could reach her own retreating forces.

The King grimaced at the instant decimation but never lost focus as he was once again surrounded. Her chakra receivers might have been destroyed, but they had consumed quite a lot of chakra from the fox and also rendered him paralyzed for a while. The fox was wounded and would most probably be unable to fight for a while.

One of the bone warriors tried to attack the fox but was swiftly blocked and repelled by the defiant Susanoo.

More came again and everytime the king fought them off shielding the wounded beast.

"Why?" she asked him, curious as to why he would fight so hard to defend a beast like the Kyuubi.

Naruto looked down at the fox before a faint but proud smile came upon his lips as he glanced at his arch enemy.

"That's what friends do, woman"

Hinata was very... _disappointed._

"Honor will get you killed, Naruto. This is exactly why humanity can never defeat the Otsutsuki clan. They have no honor or weak emotions, they are _conquerors_. It is why Kaguya wanted to unite humanity under her firm command to give your moronic race a chance at survival" said Hinata bitterly,

"By making us like your dead minion or Zetsu creatures? We would like to stand and die on our feet rather than be turned into wretched and miserable creatures for the sake of survival. For you, the fox is just a beast to be used and thrown. But for me, he is my _first friend_. We have fought together in so many battles and I will do everything in my power to protect him" promised Naruto,

He didn't give her any time to counter his argument as he swiftly grabbed the wounded fox and took to the skies. He heard the Otsutsuki queen curse loudly as her hideous creations started to form their own bony wings before following after him quickly. But he had already taken a head start and wanted to use it to his advantage.

Zooming in one of the few mountains in the inner lands, he quickly set them down taking care to place Kurama gently.

For the first time, he got a detailed look on the fox's wounds.

There were large holes on all but one of his legs, most of its tails were cut or burned, there were atleast three gaping holes across its torso and a nasty gash across its face.

All wounds inflicted by his own hands.

"I'm sorry" he whispered apologetically,

 **"Don't be. What...do...we...do...now?"** asked Kurama, his voice hoarse with pain and fatigue as he still felt the remaining elements of the cursed Otsutsuki queen's chakra trying to subdue its own.

"Shrink yourself"

Kurama never asked a question and instantly lowered his size to that of a small horse and saw Naruto closing his eyes. The beast could feel the enemy queen getting closer along with her army of monsters. To its surprise, their main army led by the Kingsguard was actually able to hold the enemy at bay while the bomb was almost ready.

"I'll link you up with Shisui. Help them out if you can and retreat to the Land of Fire when the time comes. Shisui will keep you safe" ordered Naruto, as he lowered his Susanoo.

 **"Come with me"** pleaded Kurama, making a pained smile arrive on his friend's face.

"There's no time. The next generation will need you, Kurama. Unite mankind and your Biju brethren when the time comes. I know you can do it" said Naruto gently, even as the Biju furiously shook its head.

 **"I won't leave without you"** argued Kurama fiercely, but was stilled when the Susanoo placed a hand on its head affectionately.

"You have done your part, fox. You have brought Uchiha and Senju together which might just save this world. By now you must have realized that I am not the chosen one but someone else. _Protect him_ " requested Naruto,

Realization dawned upon the fox as he remembered the unborn child growing within Tsunade. A child with both Uchiha and Senju blood, a true successor of both powerful clans.

The true heir of the Sage.

 **"How can you be so sure that the next generation can shoulder that burden? That they will be strong enough to face the Otsutsuki clan and win?"** asked Kurama desperately, earning a nod from his friend.

"I don't know really but I believe they can. My generation has given them the foundation by uniting the world under one banner, it will be upto you and people like Madara to keep the peace while preparing every living being on this planet for the final war. I have done my part and now I leave the rest to you" he whispered sincerely,

 **"We will need you, Naruto. You are the finest leader I have ever seen and you have a mind for war. Your people followed you into this war so far because they believe in you...they love you. Please rethink about this decision"** urged Kurama, but was left heartbroken when Naruto shook his head.

"Hinata Otsutsuki needs to be put down alongwith her entire army. Humanity cannot prepare for a war against the Otsutsuki before we put an end to all our internal wars. I have to be the one to put an end to her...someone else might not be upto the task" declined Naruto compassionately,

Kurama looked into his friend's eye and knew the path that Naruto had chosen.

A heavy burden settled upon the beast's shoulders as he longingly looked at the boy he had known for so long. It would be a lie to say that the time he spent with Naruto was perhaps the finest of his long life. The boy was a true king and a good friend. They had their fair share of joys and sorrows but Naruto never gave up on him...

But now he was asking Kurama to leave him behind to die alone.

He looked at the boy standing inside the Susanoo and could not help but again notice how young he was with such a long life ahead of him.

 **The Young Dragon.**

His people had given him that name...and he would stay that way in their hearts.

 _Forever Young._

Kurama saw the first silhouettes of the enemy appearing on their horizon and knew the time to make his choice was upon him.

Either stay and die with his friend or retreat in order to unite mankind for the final war.

It would be a colossal and very important task to keep men and Biju from becoming enemies once more. When his brothers and sisters were reformed, they would be wary, even hostile to men courtesy of this war. Kurama could imagine mankind having similar feelings due to the amount of death and destruction the Biju had wrecked upon them under Hinata's forced control.

He could not help but bitterly realize why Naruto wanted him to survive. As the strongest Biju, Kurama had some leverage over his own kin. He could persuade them to make peace or force them to do the same with men.

If he knew Naruto well, then he had likely ordered Madara and his wife to do the same with men.

Even now the king had his eyes set on the future, his every action dedicated to the survival of his people while sacrificing all his personal happiness.

Even his life.

It only made the choice even tougher for Kurama but he made it nonetheless because he saw what his friend wanted.

 **"I promise"** pledged the beast, as a lone tear fell from its eyes.

Naruto gave him one last smile before picking him up with his Susanoo hand.

"May we meet again, Kurama" said Naruto with an eye smile, breaking the Biju's heart even further.

With a mighty roar, the Susanoo took to the skies while pulling its arm backward. Kurama caught one final glance at his friend's smile before he was violently thrown several miles away and straight towards Shisui's position. The last thing he saw before darkness overcame was the sight of his friend charging towards the enemy.

* * *

Shisui parried a horizontal slash from one of the Kaguya warriors and twisted himself to appear behind the man. Without hesitation, he sliced his foe's head off as Itachi and Mikoto together plunged their blades into one of the last Otsutsuki clan warriors.

The three friends warily looked at each other and then at the graveyard full of rotting corpses around them.

Hagoromo, Kaguya, the dead, summons and even Otsutsuki.

All of them had fallen to their blades and the remaining two hundred could only gape in horror at the massacre of their comrades at the hands of three kingsguard and their clone forces.

He could not help but admire their enemy's bravery or stupidity as the last remaining Otsutsuki yelled a battlecry making its surviving fighters charge as well.

Shisui tiredly raised **Fury** in his hands and watched as Mikoto and Itachi did the same with their own swords.

The clone army was destroyed but they had taken their enemies with them before being defeated. Kakashi had rallied the few survivors from the original force and was keeping the barrier safe serving as the last line of defense alongside Mifune, should the Kingsguard fall. Danzo was injured and so was Hanzo, but it wouldn't be long before the Uzumaki completed their objective and then they could all go home.

It gave him hope as he charged to meet his enemies.

Both forces barely had any chakra left and knew this battle would be finished the old way.

Shisui swiftly blocked a hail of kunai thrown at him before sidestepping a vertical slash by one of the Hagoromo. He had to swiftly jump in the air and avoid being taken down to the ground by two desperate dead thralls. The Kingsguard commander took out his own kunai from his pouch before embedding them into his enemies. The satisfying sound of the explosive seals going off and taking down atleast a dozen of his foes was very satisfying.

Mikoto was surrounded by the last few Kaguya, all of whom lunged at her madly. A big mistake.

Most people would have missed it but Shisui's eyes didn't.

He watched Mikoto channel chakra to her feet before vanishing past her first foe, her sword already slicing through the man's head. With her free hand, she slapped a seal on the collapsing corpse before kicking into four other of his comrades. Before anybody could react, the corpse exploded shredding everything nearby in shrapnel and broken metal. Her last three opponents hastily raised their swords. She clashed her blade against the first, ducked the attack from the second before kicking the third enemy in the groin. Throwing her last smoke bomb, she used that small moment to stab the Kaguya whom she had kicked in the groin. He screamed as she lodged her blade into his heart and used his body as cover to absorb the counter stabbing from his two remaining comrades. Twisting herself around her enemies, she used her sword to carve them open from behind and ended their lives.

Shisui was pleased even as Mikoto didn't relish her victory and charged forward towards an approaching squad of dead warriors.

Instead, the kingsguard commander ran towards Itachi who was engaged in a fierce duel with the last Otsutsuki commander.

Already, Shisui was imagining a series of moves to take down this opponent. If the Otsutsuki was killed, then they had won this battle.

But instead of lunging into the battle, Shisui had to hastily grab Itachi and jump away just in time as a shadow violently fell from the skies and right over the shocked Otsutsuki commander.

When the dust cleared, Shisui and Itachi were shocked to see a mortally wounded Kyuubi lying upon the now crushed corpse of the Otsutsuki and a few other of his minions.

"What the hell?" asked the usually stoic Itachi in shock,

But Shisui glanced into the fox's pained eyes before his attention was diverted towards a massive explosion happening near the coastal area. It made the land tremble in its fury and only solidified Shisui's worst fears. If the fox was sent here in this condition, it could only mean...

"Where's Naruto?" asked Mikoto hastily, some fear creeping into her shaken voice.

 **"Retreat"** wheezed the Biju painfully, hoping they would understand their king's last wish.

By now, Kakashi had arrived beside them alongwith a few able bodied fighters. Shisui looked at the fox and then at his two childhood friends. For once, their thoughts were united.

"Kakashi, take the Kyuubi to safety and retreat once Nagato gives the nod" ordered Shisui,

"Where are you going, Commander?" asked Kakashi hesitantly, and saw Shisui glancing at the far off battlefield.

"To our King" replied Itachi calmly, as he sheated his sword and stoically grabbed a few discarded weapons from the nearby dead enemies.

Mikoto roared as the last few enemy that were littering in the rear decided to be bold, but only lost their lives under her furious rage as she teared them apart with her sword with Kakashi and his men's help.

Shisui silently drank from a small flask of water offered by the only medic of their group.

 **"You'll die if you go out there"** warned Kurama, and was surprised when Shisui looked back at him with a determined gaze.

"The Kingsguard doesn't flee"

 **"But-"**

" _Dead or Alive_ , we'll bring our king home or join him in death. Now go!" barked Mikoto fiercely,

Shisui silenced Kakashi before the boy could protest as his two friends joined him. Thankfully, the medic resupplied them with what little chakra he could before the three kingsguard charged towards the last battlefield.

 _We won't leave you behind, Naruto._

* * *

Hinata Otsutsuki observed the lone foe defiantly standing before her.

The Susanoo had shrunk in size somewhat and its wings were gone now, most probably in order to preserve chakra. She realized her enemy was acting as the final line of defense between her and his comrades trying to set off that bomb.

She could feel the rising unstable energy and knew she had very little time left to act.

Her enemy was on his last legs and had refused all her advise to make the right choice. It left her with only one way and what a shame for Naruto Uchiha would have been a useful pawn in the wars to come. Maybe she could revive him as her thrall, he would make an excellent general.

"Finish him" she commanded,

Hayate Otsutsuki nodded as he and his remaining several thousand strong army surrounded the Susanoo from all sides.

 _"Attack!"_

At once, hundreds upon hundreds of dead thralls charged towards the Susanoo loaded with hidden explosive seals on their bodies. The gigantic monster within the Susanoo turned most of the dead to ashes by unleashing wave upon wave of scorching flames. But still a few got through rocking the Susanoo in explosions.

While the dead distracted the Susanoo and its master, Hayate had finished his next move.

Hinata was satisfied when her commander and his army together assaulted the earth and shattered it. The Susanoo suddenly lost balance as the ground beneath its feet sunk into the earth. She yelled at her four monstrous bone warrior forms at the exact moment.

The beasts leapt into the air and she grinned when Naruto grimaced. Expecting a duel, Naruto feebly tried to raise **Dawn** and made a mistake.

The bone warriors exploded and the world turned _white._

* * *

Hayate Otsutsuki grinned as the dust cleared. He and his men cheered on seeing the Susanoo lying on its knees with its entire body covered in large bone shards. Even the dragon hidden inside was not spared and was pierced brutally. At such close range, the four bone warriors had never given the dragon king anytime to evade their suicidal attack. Hundreds upon hundreds of bone shards had rained down upon the Susanoo from all sides. It must have fought valiantly but even there was a limit to its defense.

 _CRACK_

They all cheered once more as the Susanoo finally shattered and the dragon inside collapsed dead to the ground with a mighty crash. A mangled corpse of a man literally destroyed by bones fell to the battlefield never to rise again.

Hayate was about to order one of his men to check that the enemy king was dead when Hinata herself marched forward.

"My queen!'' protested Hayate,

She didn't say anything but her cold look silenced any further protests that Hayate wanted to make.

He watched her raise the corpse in the air and saw a satisfied smile arrive on her face.

The body before her exploded in a puff of smoke.

She twisted backwards already conjuring a bone spear and swinging it upwards even as the dark portal spewed forth her arch enemy in the flesh.

 _SLASH_

Her spear pierced clean through her enemy's armor and lodged itself deep into his chest while his own holy sword teared through her neck mercilessly. Both warriors gurgled in pain but before Hinata could do anything her entire body was set aflame courtesy of **Dawn's** power.

Hayate screamed as his queen burned to death and to his horror, it released the jutsu controlling the dead warriors. They all started dropping one by one leaving him alone with only half his army made up of his own clansmen, Kaguya and Hagoromo fighters.

10,000 bloodthirsty warriors against one mortally wounded king.

All of them overtaken by rage and murder as they charged furiously at the one who had destroyed their dreams.

It had all happened so fast leaving no room for either Hinata or her supporters to react.

The Dragon king had deliberately took the mortal blow and allowed the destruction of not just his Susanoo but his dragon as well. He had placed all his bets on Hinata's arrogance over her powers and made her believe she had won only to appear behind her blindspot to deliver the fatal blow himself.

He never gave Hinata a chance by stabbing her straight in the neck before setting her on fire with **Dawn's** help.

Now the Otsutsuki queen's charred remains burned pitifully across her own lands.

For all her powers, her _arrogance_ led to her downfall by an opponent much more inferior to her in power but more superior in cunning.

Yet, even in death Hinata had left her mark upon her killer.

Naruto lay on his knees grasping for breath and trying desperately to grasp the spear lodged in his chest. The poison in the weapon had already spread through his body.

Hayate was more than willing to send the king to hell.

* * *

It was getting dark.

White scorching pain burned across his body consuming each and every part of his soul.

Warm red liquid dropped from his chest staining the world in crimson.

All around him there were so much noise.

The sound of metal clanking and angry roars reached him as he weakly gathered the last of his strength.

 _It had worked._

A desperate gamble...but it had worked.

His world was drowning in pain but with that was also present a feeling of satisfaction.

He had done his duty.

Fighting back the pain, he barely managed to get back on his feet and raise his sword once more. He could not see anything more than hazy blurs but he could still hear them as they charged at him.

The chaos reminded him of his first battle and how he had felt back then.

The only difference was that he was _not_ afraid today.

He tore the bone spear from his chest unleashing a torrent of blood soaking the ground once more. With **Dawn** in one hand, and the bone spear in the other he prepared himself.

All around him men were screaming, cursing, charging.

He sensed the first attack from his right side and jumped in the air only to block twin strikes with the help of his sword. He twisted himself around and felt two blades piercing through the two enemies engaging him from the front and used his spear to destroy the ones behind him.

When he hit the ground, the satisfying sound of heads rolling was all the proof he needed to know about his attacker's demise.

Suddenly the attacks stopped and he heard the enemy move back at the command of one firm voice.

 _"Attack!''_

Naruto heard the sound of dozens of weapons being hurled at him at once. He was forced to retreat upwards across the mountain all the while using his sword and spear to block the hail of kunai, shuriken and ninja weapons. Once or twice he even had to evade an explosive note thrown at him.

He raised his hand forward calling forth the last reserves of his chakra.

He felt the army of sailing weapons stop mid air before changing course and instead sailing right back at their casters. Unfortunately for him, the Otsutsuki commander and his clansmen blocked most of those weapons preventing any further massive losses in their army.

The precious few seconds of respite was put to good use as he created some further distance between him and his enemies gathering high ground on his side across the mountain.

His vision was getting hazy due to his wounds and severe loss of blood, his chakra was dwindling and his hands were shaking which made it more difficult to hold **Dawn**. He stabbed the bone spear a few feet ahead of him staring down at the approaching mass of enemies.

He could not climb further up the mountains for he barely had the strength left to do so.

He tried to summon his space time dimension but could only open a small fabric of that before it also vanished. He could force himself to create it again but didn't think he had the strength left to carry himself all the way to the Land of Fire.

It was decided.

It would happen here on this rugged mountain in a land far from his home.

Exhaustion and pain was all he could feel at the moment alongwith the cold sea breeze whistling past him. The air was full of death and the sound of approaching enemies. The skies devoured by dark clouds stealing every last ounce of light away from the bloodstained lands.

 _"Here...I...stand..."_ he whispered, directly staring into Hayate Otsutsuki's merciless eyes.

 **"Finish him"**

* * *

Shisui and his two friends sailed across the Land of Water atop Itachi's crow summon. While it allowed them to move faster, it had nearly deprived Itachi of his energy and it took Mikoto to support the tired boy. But none of them gave up as they were almost there.

Strangely, the battlefield had fallen silent.

Shisui's eyes widened when they flew across a charred battlefield where the badly butchered corpse of Naruto's dragon remained still. Not far from that was a burned body of a female and on closer inspection, Shisui was shocked to see the faint visage of a _very dead_ Hinata Otsutsuki in the corpse.

"He did it" whispered Mikoto in awe,

Itachi saw thousands of rotting dead corpses lying around the dead queen which could only mean the jutsu controlling them came to an end with her death. But if she was dead, then where was Naruto?

He discovered a large group of people not far from their position.

 _"North!"_ said Itachi quickly, and without any question the crow changed direction.

Their crow gained speed and increased its height into the air as the three friends glanced at each other nervously. Their panic increased even more when they saw the remaining few thousand Otsutsuki fighters present all over a lone mountain.

They sailed higher and found a new battlefield upwards across the mountain marred with nearly another hundred corpses bearing the armor of Otsutsuki, Kaguya and Hagoromo warriors.

Another large group of enemy fighters were up ahead surrounding a badly wounded warrior. One of the Otsutsuki had grabbed the barely conscious warrior by his neck and made him forcefully stand.

Mikoto's eyes widened when she recognized the badly bruised face as the boy she had loved her entire life.

Her cry died in her throat when the Otsutsuki stabbed a long spear clean through the boy's heart.

Time slowed down for her as the Otsutsuki let his victim free off his firm grip while yanking the now bloodied spear out of the man's chest. A pained moan escaped from Naruto's lips as he fell to his knees with blood spilling wildly out of his chest. He looked up to the skies and his gaze connected with her.

He fell to the ground and didn't rise up again.

The Otsutsuki commander kicked the fallen king brutally before looking at his grinning comrades. He raised his blooded spear high in the air.

"To The Young Dragon!" mocked Hayate,

He laughed when his comrades howled out pitiful imitations of a dragon's roar and kicked and spit at the boy on the ground. Hayate could not help but admit that the boy had been young, atleast in the Otsutsuki's eyes.

"Forever young" concluded Hayate,

He watched his comrades mercilessly drag the king over their shoulders to show his end to the rest of their army eliciting another wave of cheering. Their queen had died but they had taken down the enemy king as well, which was a bitter victory.

But a victory nonetheless.

Hayate grinned when he saw some of his comrades drag the severed head of the king's dragon. Another few men dropped the dead boy to the ground in a kneeling position as one of the Kaguya took up position behind him with a sword ready to cleave the king's head off.

Their gruesome celebration was interrupted by a thunderous _roar._

He looked up and froze.

Three furious Uchiha were falling towards them from the skies with their blood red eyes full of murder. Hayate cursed when he saw they were no ordinary sharingan, but three pairs of **Mangekyo**.

His luck went from bad to worse when one of his men pointed in the western direction where a fully armored demonic bull headed Susanoo was charging towards them thunderously. The beast roared madly and Hayate took a step back when he saw none other than **Madara Uchiha** staring right into his very soul.

 _It was over._

* * *

Hiruzen Sarutobi had thought this war had shown him every gruesome sight in the world.

But he was proven wrong again as he glanced at the destroyed mountain full of butchered corpses. Thousands upon thousands of enemy lay dead. Their end came for them in the form of _Fire and Blood_.

They never had a chance.

Madara and the three kingsguard fell upon them in all their fury and hatred. Their Mangekyo powers shredding the enemy to pieces. To their credit the enemy had fought till the last man but they were all butchered mercilessly.

Mikoto herself ended the enemy commander who stabbed Naruto by destroying his body on an atomic level with her Mangekyo.

Madara, Shisui and Itachi butchered the rest of the enemy forces.

Hiruzen alongwith Daen Nara, Tobi Shimura, Rei Namikaze, Kiara Hatake and Shiki Aburame stood protectively around the weeping queen as she desperately tried to heal her motionless husband.

"Come on!Wake up, Naruto!" pleaded Tsunade worriedly, as she channeled more and more of her chakra to heal his wounds.

Madara came storming towards them and knelt beside her. He gingerly picked up his cold brother and cradled him in his arms. For the first time in front of everyone Madara Uchiha cried.

"You promised me!Both of us against the world!Let's go home together, little brother!" pleaded Madara, as tears fell from his cheeks.

He helplessly looked at Tsunade who was crying as she shook her head.

Madara felt his world crumble before his very eyes.

He looked at the beaten, bruised and scarred corpse of his brother. They had butchered the poor boy, they had taken his last brother from him. Madara wished he could kill them all again and again making them experience the pain they had wrecked upon his heart.

His brother's skin was so cold, his eyes closed and his body soaked in his own blood.

His end had been full of pain and suffering.

Madara glanced around and saw Kiara Hatake and Rei Namikaze desperately hold a weeping Tsunade in their arms. While Hiruzen, Daen, Shiki, Tobi and Itachi did the same with a hysterical Mikoto.

Shisui stood all alone far away from the others with his shoulders slumped. Even if his back was against them, Madara noticed the few tears that fell from the boy's eyes and hit the bloodstained ground.

Madara glanced at the dark world around him as his entire life flashed before his eyes.

All of his brothers were gone now.

He was supposed to protect them and all he had ever wished for was a world where his brothers and clansmen could be safe. He had fought so _hard_ for that his entire life, but now that his dream was before him, there was no one left to live it.

His brothers were dead, his clan was almost wiped out.

 _Madara screamed._

Mikoto watched the ever strong Madara crumble before her eyes as his brother's death destroyed the last of his hope and sanity. She could not watch him like this, she could not watch that lifeless corpse of her lover lying before her.

It was not supposed to end this way.

It would seem she was not the only one who felt that way as she watched Tsunade steel herself and kneel beside Naruto ignoring the protests from Kiara and Rei. She watched a broken Madara pleadingly look into the Senju queen's eyes almost begging her to stop his crushing pain.

"I will bring him back" she promised fiercely, as tears fell from the Senju's eyes.

"How?" asked Madara hesitantly,

He felt a horrible feeling creep upon his heart as he watched Tsunade sadly clutch her belly and her own heart before she steeled herself and looked at Naruto.

"A life for a life. The world needs him now more than ever and my kinjutsu will save his life" promised Tsunade,

"At what cost?" asked Hiruzen warily,

"My own and that of the child within me" confessed Tsunade, much to the horror of the ones around her.

"No!You can't, my queen! The King would never forgive us if we let you and the prince die. He gave his life for your future" pleaded Itachi desperately,

Surprisingly, Madara backed the boy.

"Naruto will never be able to live with himself if his life came at the cost of yours and that child. I cannot allow it" said Madara sadly,

"Then what do we do?" asked Daen Nara hesitantly,

"How does your jutsu work?"

Tsunade looked up in surprise and saw Mikoto approach towards her. She saw the same grief and pain in the Uchiha woman's eyes, knowing that she had loved Naruto as much as her was Tsunade's only consolation.

"I transfer my lifeforce to his own healing his wounds while breathing new life into his body. This jutsu is forbidden among my clan for the user will not survive at the end" said Tsunade honestly,

"If it is too much for one person, then what about _three?_ "

Tsunade was again surprised as it was Shisui and Itachi who asked that question as they knelt beside her. They must have seen the unsaid question lingering in her eyes as they glanced at their fallen king.

"We failed in our duty and couldn't protect him. He was our king, our friend, we pledged him our lives and swore to sacrifice our lives for his own. It is time to _honor_ that pledge" said Shisui calmly, with determination burning in his eyes.

Itachi nodded as well and Tsunade's surprise didn't end there as after the kingsguard, came Daen Nara, Tobi Shimura, Rei Namikaze, Kiara Hatake, Shiki Aburame, Hiruzen Sarutobi and Madara himself.

"I don't know the jutsu but I hope all of our lifeforce combined should help" suggested Madara, earning nods from everyone around him.

"You all can die during the jutsu" she warned,

"Troublesome, but it's a risk we'll have to take. His survival is necessary for the Uchiha-Senju alliance and for peace to prevail across the world" said Daen honestly, sealing his own acceptance of the risk.

"King Naruto fought valiantly, he fought with honor and courage, and he died for us. This is the least we can do for him" suggested Hiruzen with a small smile, earning nods from Rei Namikaze and Kiara Hatake.

"Give us our king back, Tsunade Senju. The cost does not matter even if it means all our lives" asserted Tobi Shimura, earning a nod from Shiki Aburame in favor.

Tsunade glanced at all of them.

Uchiha, Shimura, Namikaze, Sarutobi, Hatake, Aburame and a Senju.

Families that had torn each other apart for thousands of years were now united to risk death for the sake of one man.

She had never seen anyone inspire this kind of change in their cursed world. She had never imagined the world to be changed by the will of one man. Her gaze settled upon the smiling face of her husband and it was then she understood why these people were willing to risk everything for him.

 _They believed in him._

Believed in the future he could give them by staying alive and helping them in the final war against the Otsutsuki clan.

They were his friends, comrades, subordinates, and family.

 _And so was she._

One by one they all joined hands together and gently placed them over their king's corpse. Madara extended his own chakra powered hand which Tsunade connected with her own. To both of their surprise, two symbols appeared on their hands respectively. A half moon graced Madara's hands while a glowing sun covered Tsunade's hands.

Together, they placed their hand upon Naruto's chest.


	45. Epilogue

**Thank you for the support.**

 **Here is the final chapter of this story.**

 **Music Recommendation: Suns and Stars (Extended)- Really Slow Motion (Youtube)**

 **Arn Anderson-Annihilation (Youtube-For the last few para's of this story)**

 **Chapter 45**

 **Epilogue**

* * *

(Six Weeks Later)

A gasp.

The world swarm into his sight all at once threatening to consume him in a blind light. He shut his eye before blinking it open a few times and adjusted it to his surroundings.

It was then that the cold hit him.

He glanced around and found himself resting in a very warm and comfortable bed. He tried to move his limbs and they felt so heavy, his throat was parched and he found it very hard to breathe. Still, he continued to struggle and managed to get himself seated upright with great pain and effort.

The surroundings cleared even further and he slowly recognized the room as his personal chambers in the Land of Fire.

Was this what the afterlife was like?

The last thing he remembered was the Otsutsuki stabbing his heart and him falling to the ground. He looked down at his naked chest and saw a nasty pink scar over his chest, a reminder of that wound.

What was happening?

Just when he was about to panic, a wail erupted.

A child's cry.

He looked around and saw atleast three cribs in the far off corner. The babe was crying louder now, he didn't know what was going on but knew he had to help that child. Dead or not, he couldn't leave the child alone when it was in pain.

His legs trembled against the cold when he placed them on the ground, but fortunately he was still wearing pants.

Atleast he was not naked against the cold which was a small blessing.

He nearly fell flat on his face when he tried to get up but grabbed a nearby table to steady himself. When he was confident he wouldn't make a fool of himself, he took the first step with great effort.

Then another and another.

The babe was still crying and to his utter surprise was joined by another.

Curious he slightly increased his pace and managed to reach the cribs only to be left speechless.

There were three of them, one beautiful boy and two little girls.

The boy had soft blonde hair and pale white skin. His eyes were pale blue and his soft cheeks were full of moisture. His chubby little hands were desperately trying to reach out at him.

The first girl had beautiful black hair and pale skin. She had dark eyes that were so haunting and beautiful at the same time. Her gaze was fixed on the boy and she was crying as she tried to reach out to him but her own crib stopped her. The helplessness must be frustrating her leading her to tears.

The last child was sound asleep unlike the other two around her. His breath nearly stopped when he noticed her soft brown hair so much like his own and his aunt Naori, even her eyes were the same as his and so was her skin.

Tears arrived in his own eyes and he cursed the gods for their cruelty.

Even after death, they tortured him like this. By throwing the ghost of a life he could have had right in front of his dead soul, of what could have been twisting itself like a knife in a broken heart.

He had fought for what was right and even gave his life.

But now watching the ghosts of these children before him, wondering what his own children would have looked like haunted him. He may have saved the world but he had failed them as their Father by leaving them all alone.

The grief and guilt overwhelmed him as he miserably tried to touch the boy in order to take some pitiful comfort.

He froze.

His hand touched upon the child's head instead of passing right through him.

Shocked, he placed his other free hand upon his own heart and felt the soft beating of his own heart.

 _It was impossible!_

He shouldn't be here but his own beating heart was a stark proof against that reality. Most of all the baby boy had stopped crying leading the other girl to also stop crying and look at him curiously.

Afraid and eager, he carefully took the boy in his arms and brought him close to his chest.

The child laughed.

And he saw Tsunade in the child which broke the overwhelming flood of emotions welling in his chest.

Naruto broke down with tears rolling from his eye and desperately clutched the boy against his chest. He quickly reached over to the awake girl child and extended his finger to her. The child laughed happily and wrapped her tiny fist around his finger.

 _He wept._

The doors were slammed open making him turn around to witness an equally shocked Tsunade and Priestess Shizuka staring at him in awe and joy.

In a flash, his wife crashed against him but was still careful enough not to hurt him too much. Tears were falling from her eyes as she kissed him passionately. His throat was parched and lips dry but it still felt the most happiest moment of his life.

He kissed her back fiercely, if this was his last night on earth then he would still consider himself lucky for he got to see his wife and children atleast once.

They softly broke the kiss only for her to hug him fiercely. None of them could say anything for their voices had abandoned them yet here in this dark chamber, holding Tsunade and their son in his arms, watching his two daughters being looked over by Shizuka who smiled at him...it felt right.

 _He was home._

* * *

Naruto groaned against his brother's fierce hug but smiled nonetheless. Even Tajima came forward and hugged both of his sons together, even as a lone tear slipped from the old Uchiha's eyes.

When they finally parted, there was a relieved smile on Madara's face and a contended one across Tajima's.

"Took your sweet time" scolded Madara,

"Sorry" apologized Naruto sheepishly,

He didn't understand how he was still alive, only that Tsunade had saved his life for which he again sent her a thankful smile as she held their son in her arms.

"Leave the poor boy, alone. He's back and that is all that matters" scolded Tajima, earning a scoff from his eldest son.

"Of course, he's back! Uchiha's are hard to kill" boasted Madara with not a hint of shame,

Naruto smiled faintly knowing how wrong his brother was. Death was death, and it came for all of them whether it was an Uchiha or Senju. He would just count himself lucky to have another chance at life.

"What happened out there?" he asked his eldest brother, as a solemn look arrived on everyone's faces.

Madara went on to explain how he had charged straight into the Land of Water alongside Tsunade and his squad. He had expected Naruto to scold him outright for risking his wife and son's life, but the boy surprised him.

"Thank you, everyone" whispered the king gratefully, as he glanced at his two living daughters so near him.

Madara himself smiled at the sight before going on to explain how Tsunade was willing to sacrifice her life and that of her son for his own. That earned her a sharp look from Naruto and she had the grace to look away sheepishly. The king wanted to scold her for being so reckless but couldn't say anything knowing her heart was in the right place. He was relieved to hear how the other clan heads and his own friends alongwith Madara had sacrificed their own lifeforce to revive him.

They had all shortened their lifespan.

 _For him._

"I owe all of you a great deal" said Naruto gratefully, and saw his three friends rolling their eyes at him.

"You owe us nothing" answered Mikoto gently, earning nods from Shisui and Itachi as well.

Naruto considered himself lucky to have so many people go so far for his sake. He could only consider himself extremely blessed to have such people in his life, even if he didn't deserve their love and loyalty.

"The enemy?'' asked Naruto hesitantly,

"Dead" answered Madara coldly,

"Dead?" questioned Naruto in disbelief,

"To the last man. _We killed them all_ " replied Madara coldly, and for a second Naruto saw the immense hatred Madara had for the Otsutsuki and could only imagine how his brother must have butchered those bastards. Not that he was complaining.

"The Land of Water?' he asked again,

"Still exists. With the Otsutsuki wiped out, there was no need to destroy such an important territory. Contrary to our belief, it was not a wasteland. The Otsutsuki had their own crop fields, wealth and immense resources which we have seized for ourselves. Their lands are still fertile and I have put our men on them to alleviate the food shortage. Many refugees are already being moved there to lessen the burden on the Land of Fire. Thankfully, Nagato and Mito were able to stop the Biju's from exploding. We just dodged a dangerous bullet, Naruto" explained Tajima honestly,

The king was relieved.

There was no point in destroying an entire resourceful continent if the enemy occupying them were all dead. He was also intrigued when Madara explained that the Uzumaki had uncovered several vaults of information that Hinata had about their world, the Otsutsuki, jutsu and so much more. Tajima and Madara had already ordered those vaults to be preserved and guarded knowing how important they would be in the future.

The King was saddened to hear about the loss of half of the men who had followed him to the Land of Water. He felt guilty for being alive while they were not. The others tried to reassure him by explaining that he was more important but it did not lessen his guilt and his only comfort was that Madara had given all those warriors a state funeral and made sure their families were well looked after. Naruto decided to immortalize them forever so that humanity never forgot their sacrifice.

The world was slowly recovering from the war but it was not going to be an easy journey.

Not for him or anyone else.

But they had a chance and in the end it was all that mattered.

* * *

It was midnight when Tsunade entered her chambers and frowned when she saw her still recovering husband not only awake but also sitting at his table studying the ninja map while also taking down notes.

"You should rest" she scolded, and flushed when he gave her a warm smile full of affection.

"I cannot. Our world may have survived but it will take a lot to rebuild and even more to make it ready to face the Otsutsuki clan" he emphasized patiently,

She walked towards him and laid a gentle hand on his shoulder.

''You really have a one track mind, don't you?" she asked with a mock sigh,

"Afraid so" he answered cheekily with a grin,

He calmly observed her as she studied the ninja map. It still amazed him that he now ruled over the world, it was a great responsibility he wanted to fulfill to his very best. But he couldn't shoulder this burden alone and wordlessly requested her guidance. Tsunade was surprised at his gesture before she smiled fondly.

"If we are to keep peace, then we need to spread our loyalists across the world. Keeping the most powerful clans in the Land of Fire will only create more tension while weakening the security in other former nations" she advised, earning a nod from him.

"What would you have me do?" he asked curiously, agreeing with her thoughts.

"The Uchiha are strong and your ever loyal supporters. Make them lords of the Land of Lightning. Those lands are very resourceful and rich, plus even more better suited at raising and training large armies. Have several minor clans like the Aburame and Shimura become their support houses alongwith local clans and civilians" explained Tsunade sincerely,

"My people won't like it. The Land of Fire is our home" argued Naruto, and she even nodded in acceptance.

"True. I would have recommended giving the Senju clan those lands but my people are too soft and good hearted. The citizens of Land of Lightning are a hard bunch who'll follow only the strong. Madara and his descendants will be the perfect choice if you deem it so. Most of all, you are the _King_. They will obey if you command them" explained Tsunade seriously, a fiery glint in her usual calm eyes.

"What about the Land of Fire?" asked Naruto seriously, as much as he hated it her words did have a grain of truth in them.

"It shall be the seat of the royal family with the Senju clan and its staunch allies like the Yamanaka, Akmichi and Inuzuka serving as loyal vassals. To balance the threat of favoritism, have the Hatake and Namikaze clans expand their influence. This way our descendants will always be surrounded by staunch loyalists. As for the Land of Wind, it is a treacherous and difficult nation. Only a smart tribe can lead them and who better than the ever cunning Nara? The Land of Earth is also a land of hard people, make the Sarutobi clan their overlords with minor ninja houses as their support base; besides they always did love monkeys which are a plenty in those lands" explained Tsunade strategically, pointing her fingers over different parts of the map.

Naruto didn't miss the fact that she was gradually hinting at encroaching all smaller nations into Land of Fire, Lightning, Earth and Sand.

Four great nations ruled by loyal families devoted to the royal family.

All ninja clans and no civilians.

"The Land of Whirlpools should stay the way it is. The Uzumaki should be continued to rule over them. As for the Land of Water, we will need a stable population to repopulate them. People who have honor and courage, the Samurai and Hanzo's people should be the most suitable. And these group of separate islands near the border of the Land of Fire and Water should be made another separate nation to act as a buffer state between the former Otsutsuki lands and the Land of Fire. You can give these lands to minor ninja clans and make it the seat of the crown prince. This way, our family will have a place to retreat to if shit hits the fan"

By the time she was finished, her husband was gaping at her.

"What?'' she snapped irritatedly, her old temper flaring to life. She would never admit it outloud but his continuous stare made her a little nervous. Her brothers had never allowed her to have much say in political matters and she feared she might have overstepped her boundaries once more.

To her surprise, he did something she had never expected.

"You're a better ruler than me" he complimented, making her blush but she quickly shook her head.

"These are just ideas, Naruto" she refuted, albeit very weakly. It truly warmed her heart that he thought so highly of her.

"They are better than the ones I had. To be honest, I know how to win wars but one of the reasons we survived so far was on the sound advise Daen Nara gave me from time to time. All my life, I was trained to fight my brother's wars. I was never born to lead a nation, much less the entire world. Sometimes, it makes me feel that I should not be the one leading us" he confessed, and was surprised when she bonked him on the head gently.

"It doesn't matter what we were born to be or destined to be. Who we _chose_ to become is what matters most and no person is perfect at everything, even a King. You cannot do it all alone but you will have all of us by your side everyday. Don't be afraid" she encouraged,

A smile came upon his lips as he stared at the unflinching faith she had in him, even if he was probably a political fool at times.

"Thank you, Tsunade"

She smiled back at him before laying a soft kiss on his lips, one which he happily returned.

"Likewise, Naruto"

They both decided to run their decided ideas before the various clans and their family elders first, if they agreed then it would probably change the world forever.

* * *

It was midnight.

The world was silent.

All creatures taking rest unaware of the dangers that lurked around them.

Priestess Shizuka stared at the shining moon in the sky, it was beautiful with its pale light but what most people didn't see was its darkness that came and consumed the world. Every time, the light destroyed that darkness but never was it easy.

She looked at her two daughters sleeping in their cribs, innocent souls who didn't know how dangerous the world truly was. The monsters that lurked everywhere.

She smiled when he felt another presence appear.

"You came" she said gently,

"Your words were true" he answered with a wistful smile, as she turned around to face the king. He was dressed in a simple Uchiha clan shirt and pants, a far cry from the expensive clothes many had gifted him on his coronation.

And she knew very well what words he spoke about and why he was here.

She watched his eyes gaze over their daughters and was pleased when she saw how much love he had in them for the girls.

"Have you thought about their names?" she asked curiously,

"I have. But you are their mother, I know you have forsaken most worldly pleasures but if you have any ideas then I would be most happy to listen" he said with a faint smile, but she shook her head.

"I never expected to be a mother, but now that I am I shall try my best to do justice by our daughters. But your blood flows in their veins. I shall be there for them as much as I can but you are their Father" she advised, her unsaid words were not missed by the king as he nodded.

"The eldest shall be named Naori and the younger one Hikari" he announced,

"After your mother and aunt. A predictable choice but an honorable one as well" she commented, and he merely nodded.

"I have to ask you something" he said, which made her smirk.

"When we first met, I had answers to questions that you never knew existed. But tonight, you are the one with the answers and I with the questions. You know it's true" she said frankly, which made him flinch.

She saw him fight with his own heart for several long minutes before he sighed in defeat.

"The war is far from over. It has only begun" he confessed,

"Truth is always hard to accept, my king" she agreed, and saw him clench his fists.

''They're out there and my people need to prepare for their arrival. But we cannot do that without information" he admitted hesitantly,

Shizuka felt her heart break for this man but couldn't help but admire his strength for he had made his decision. Yet, she had to impart what she felt and reached out to touch his cheek.

"If you stay here, then you'll be remembered as the greatest of all Kings. You will be a wonderful leader and possibly herald humanity into a new era. _The Young Dragon_ , they shall remember you as such until the end of time. Your family will love you and you shall have the peace you always desired. But your people will never be safe from the real threat out there and maybe in time if it doesn't show itself, they will very well forget about it until it's too late"

"But if you go, then you shall wander through stars and entire galaxies. You will go farther than any man has ever dreamed of, a life of danger and hardship but one that may save our world. But you will never have the peace you desire, possibly you shall never return home ever again"

His shoulders slumped as he miserably approached his daughters and touched their cheeks. She could see the burden crushing his soul bitterly until he straightened himself and made his choice.

"I'm the only one who can cross worlds with my power. I can pass through dimensions and galaxies in time, to discover the true extent of the Otsutsuki power and warn our world in time. I cannot do that if I stay here and bind myself as King. I will never forgive myself for this...nor shall those who love me. I can only pray that my actions can help them when the time comes" he confessed miserably,

Shizuka approached him and laid a gentle hand on his shoulder as he slowly took deep breaths.

"You remember what I told you about your final choice?" she asked him,

 _You shall die with a smile on your face._

His eyes widened as he realized something very important. He took a step away from her, his voice deserting him as he nervously stared at this woman.

"Who are you?"

Suddenly a wave of deadly cold invaded the room, the flowers in the room withered away, the breathing of the children turned eerily silent as two ghostly dark black eyes stared at him. For the very first time, he saw a purple shadow rise above him looming over the woman.

He realized what it truly was.

 _Death._

"I really died out there, didn't I?" he asked sadly,

The one and only god stared at him with his dark visage as the scene around them shifted. The palace disappeared, so did the Land of Fire, until Naruto found himself floating in the sky.

He recognized the vast coastal lands below him as the Land of Water, looking down he saw a group of people surrounding a fallen warrior. Their hands desperately trying to breathe life back into the dead man.

 _Their dead king._

He saw Tsunade desperately crying for him to wake up, Madara fighting back his pain as he channeled more and more chakra in a vain effort to save his brother. There were others: Hatake, Nara, Sarutobi, Aburame, Shimura.

All clans united in their effort to save one man.

He felt his heart break on seeing them in so much pain, and knowing he had caused them only made it worse.

 **"Death is inevitable, child. It came to all those who came before you and all those who shall come after"** announced Shizuka in her same calm voice, but he felt the darkness in her words.

"What was the point of making me see a life you were never going to give me?" asked Naruto furiously, as he felt his blood boil for vengeance.

Shizuka stared at him calmly for a moment before looking back at the weeping people on the earth as their efforts started to fail them and the reality started to sink home.

 **"You had a destiny, Naruto. You were destined to bring all these clans together. Their unending clash would have resulted in the world's destruction which would have wiped out mankind even before the Otsutsuki ever came. Eventually, it would have destroyed me as well for even I cannot handle the souls of the entire world all together"** confessed Shizuka or the death god,

Naruto decided to call her Shizuka only, for calling her anything else disturbed him.

"What do you mean?" he asked,

 **"Souls are energy and they can never be destroyed. They pass on through time in different shapes and forms. My job is to be their caretaker. Guide each and everyone of them. Reward the good ones, take care of the simple ones and punish the wicked ones. But even I cannot destroy any soul all together. They are eternal. Mortal death is just a small part of a great journey but if the soul is destroyed, only the cold void awaits us all. I believe you have seen it a little"** explained Shizuka honestly,

Naruto remembered the darkness and feeling of nothingness he had seen when he had tried to force his Rinnegan to gaze too far into the future. If the void was anything like that, then he wanted to be a thousand miles away from it.

Shizuka sadly smiled at him.

 **"The Otsutsuki are that void that shall consume every beautiful thing from this world. It shall forever be devoured by the void if they succeed. This war was just the first step in stopping that devastation. You united the world and these people who care for you shall carry on your will. They shall do what is right"** promised Shizuka,

Naruto remembered small glimpses of the future he was shown. If even half of it was true, then Tsunade would possibly go ahead with her ideas regarding the Union. Madara would obey his dying wish of ruling over as Regent and looking after his nephew and nieces until they were fit to take charge.

It would not be easy but looking at the clan heads below and the same feeling in their eyes, Naruto could hope it turned out to be true.

"You want something from me, don't you?" he asked knowingly, earning a sorrowful sigh from the priestess.

 **"I do. The reason I showed you that future was because despite my wish of you helping me stop the Otsutsuki, I cannot force you. Naruto, you are a good soul who lived and died by its honor. It is my duty to assist you in your next journey where you may find peace but even I do not know the future as many believe. You have to choose: To Move on or Linger and be the ghost of a dagger in the Otsutsuki's back"**

 **"Your soul shall continue into a new life if you choose to move on, but if you linger than you shall be allowed freedom to pursue the Otsutsuki with some help from me. You may be alone but your actions might just save them all again"** explained Shizuka,

She flinched when he slammed a solid punch into her gut but nodded when she saw the look in his eyes.

"You're a _manipulative_ bastard" accused Naruto, earning a surprising nod in return.

 **"We fight with the means we have"** defended Shizuka,

"I suppose you cannot give me another chance at life for all the _good_ I've done?" asked Naruto with a bitter laugh, as she sadly shook her head.

 **"Death cannot be undone. Even if I allow you to return, you yourself made the right choice eventually through the small virtual simulation I put you through. Tell me what would be more cruel? That or this?"** asked Shizuka, as she pointed at the weeping people on the ground as their efforts finally failed.

Naruto watched their pain and could only imagine what worse pain he might have inflicted on them if he had returned from death, only to go away in search of the Otsutsuki and stop them?

He was the only one with the power to reach them, wherever they were.

He wanted to weep but remembered he had made his choice despite knowing where it would lead him.

He had always fought for his people, no matter how much pain and suffering it got him in return.

He died for them.

Now, even dead he had to protect them from the shadows.

 _The path of a ninja._

"Tell me, was Shizuka real or just another form of manipulation?" he asked, his concern for his daughters rising back.

The woman smiled.

 **"This is all but a vessel which I used to interact with you. The choices you and she made on their own. Do not be afraid for your children. They shall be born and the three headed dragon shall rise again"** said Shizuka sincerely, as a wistful smile arrived on Naruto's face.

"I wonder how they would be. I wonder how my son would grow when he faces the choice to be an Uchiha or a Senju" wondered Naruto,

 **"He doesn't have to choose. He shall be an Uchiha and he shall be a Senju"** she whispered,

Naruto continued to smile while gazing at the soul he felt inside his wife's belly. In that moment, he felt that connection and the last shackles holding him were shattered. An energy so much like his own.

 _"Naruto is gone...but The Young Dragon is not"_

He nodded as the Shinigami extended his hand towards him. With one final glance at his family, he disappeared to fight his next war.

* * *

(Sixteen Years Later)

Hashirama walked through the vast corridors of the royal palace returning each of the greetings from the people nearby with a trained but honest smile. He even gave a nod to a few young Senju guards who saluted him as they passed by him.

He took the stairs and soon reached the top of the tower where he found his last sibling.

He smiled when he saw her standing tall and proud with her beautiful golden hair flowing freely in the air. The crown atop her head suited her and there was a soft smile on her face as she looked down into the courtyard. It was hard for him to believe that Queen Tsunade had barely aged even after these many years, even if she was nearly thirty two years old.

Unfortunately for her, he didn't come to her with good news.

Still, she smiled warmly when she saw him and quickly they were embracing each other. He kissed her forehead affectionately and she gently caressed few of the wrinkles on his forehead.

"You're getting old, brother" she teased with a cheeky grin, making him laugh.

"Not everyone has your beauty" he answered defensively, as she relented with a smile.

They both stepped towards the edge and Hashirama smirked when he saw several young boys and girls training in the courtyard. His eyes easily found his eldest son, Nawaki practicing his fire style jutsu. The boy was nearly fourteen and was a good child, kind and caring. The future of the Senju was safe in him.

His second son, Tobirama battled with his third son Itama. The twins of twelve were engaged in a fierce taijutsu match and had no intention of giving up anytime soon. Their blood red hair a stark proof of their fiery nature, a trait they inherited from their mother, Mito.

On the other side, two beautiful girls were practicing their own art. Unlike the Senju boys, they were extremely pale in complexion giving them an unearthly visage. The elder one had dark black hair and sharp eyes. As the eldest among her siblings, Naori Uchiha was every bit the warrior that her ancestors were.

The other girl had beautiful and long brown hair, a trait she inherited from her father. Hikari Uchiha was busy executing her set of sealing jutsu while trying to fight off her warrior elder sister. Even in the midst of battle, she was smiling cheerfully unlike her sister who had a look of utter concentration on her determined face.

But his breath nearly stopped when he saw one young warrior fighting against three of the most famous ninja of their time.

Shisui, Itachi and Mikoto Uchiha had all gotten older. A lot had changed in their lives, including the marriage of Shisui and Mikoto while Itachi choose the path of solace. What they never gave up on was their promise of protecting and nurturing their family.

It was why they surrounded a young boy with their swords barred.

The boy lunged forward with the legendary sword **Dawn** in his hands. His handsome blonde hair whistled in the air as he clashed his blade against Shisui with a loud sound. His sharp bluish eyes saw the next attack coming as he used a kunai to block Mikoto's strike. He was broad shouldered and strong, only a little shorter in height than the six feet tall Shisui. He was strong as he held his ground even when both kingsguard pushed him back and created a shadow clone without any hand seals that blocked Itachi from striking him from behind.

Hashirama could not help but feel sorrow and pride well in his chest, as he saw his nephew push off Shisui and Mikoto with a fierce battlecry. The Senju leader didn't miss Tsunade smiling with pride as her son demonstrated her monstrous strength in battle. Itachi had to jump away quickly for the clone blocking his way to his real target exploded.

The young prince lunged after his enemies with a ferocity that Hashirama had only seen in very few warriors.

"He looks so much like his Father" commented Hashirama, as he saw the pale complexion of the prince. The shape of his hair was the same as his father's, but he was far more muscular and tall. His face almost the same as the First Dragon king right down to the very bottom of his lips.

"They call him _The Young Dragon_ " whispered Tsunade, pride and sadness mixed in her eyes.

She had surprised nearly everyone when she chose to name the boy herself. Hashirama had been worried for her safety when the king died, but Tsunade made a lasting positive impression on Madara and the remaining Uchiha with one simple decision by naming her son after their beloved fallen king.

A happy smile came on her lips as she saw her son corner Itachi and Mikoto, while Shisui observed him with a nostalgic look in his eyes.

 _"Naruto!"_

The sixteen year old boy looked up at his mother's call and his previously fierce look instantly changed into a beaming smile as he ignored all caution and started rushing upwards across the tower wall with a grin.

Within seconds, he reached upstairs and Hashirama opened his eyes with a beaming smile.

"Uncle Hashirama!"

Tsunade smiled on seeing her brother hug her only son. Even now, she couldn't help but witness how similar the boy was to his father. But unlike the martyred king, his son grew up in an era of peace. In many ways, Naruto was similar to his father.

He was a great swordsman, the wielder of the Sharingan, a fine commander in training and a leader who took the safety and well being of his people very seriously.

But he was also joyous, honorable and full of life. His smiles always reached his eyes and he always lived life to its fullest. A luxury his father never experienced. A happiness his father gave his life to pass on.

Watching that innocence and hope on her young son's face made Tsunade bitterly respect why her husband gave his life without hesitation. She had nearly given up on life when she failed to revive Naruto, but her family supported her.

 _Both her families._

She had expected Madara to curse her for her failure in saving his brother, but the Uchiha had seen something in her and in his own strange way encouraged her to fight on, if only for the sake of her son and his nephew.

And he was right.

For this boy became not just her salvation, but Madara's as well.

It had taken only one look at the crying infant for both her and Madara. That moment had broken their hearts but also breathed new life into it. She had imagined of so many names for her child but the first time she looked at him, only one name came to her.

 _Naruto._

When she had suggested it to her loved ones, Madara had lowered his head fighting back his tears and whispered "Thank you" in a choked voice.

 _The Dragon king was gone...but Naruto Uchiha was not._

* * *

Hashirama created an entire new grove of flowers at the foot of the giant statue that stood as tall as the royal palace and watched over the entire capital. Instead of stone, he had created it from pure wood.

 _Unbreakable._

It was a perfect picture of their fallen king. He stood tall and proud, with his traditional golden armor bearing the three headed dragon sigil. His right arm held a massive wooden sword, a pale imitation of **Dawn** and his face set in eternal determination and courage.

Beneath it were just written five words.

 _The Young Dragon...Forever Young._

Looking at his nephew standing by his side reminded Hashirama of the time when he had united his clan with the Uchihas and marched to war under King Naruto.

Now another Naruto stood beside him, the boy solemnly stared at the statue of a father he had never known but had heard great tales about from every person he had ever known. Despite their differences, humanity had acknowledged King Naruto for his ultimate sacrifice and even till this day he was cherished as a prized hero.

A legacy his young son found hard to live upto.

"What killed him?" asked Naori, the eldest of the deceased king's children.

Hashirama was aware that the girl knew how Naruto died but her question held a deeper meaning. One which he understood far better than anyone else.

"Loyalty" answered the Senju head solemnly,

He watched Naori clench her fists without betraying any emotion on her stoic face. But her solemn eyes showed the pain in her heart, but as the eldest of her siblings she remained strong.

Hikari, the middle child was more open with her emotions. She had her father's face and his eyes, those very beautiful orbs that were very moist on the anniversary of her father's death.

"What was he like? Our mother never talks about him, nor does Queen Tsunade" whispered Hikari sadly,

Hashirama could understand why those two women behaved as such. Tsunade never admitted it but Hashirama knew she held herself responsible for not being able to save her husband's life. His death broke something in her much to Hashirama's sorrow. It did make her strong enough to become a Queen that kept the world at peace for sixteen years and raise her son alone, but she never remarried or found someone to care for except her only son.

Priestess Shizuka left behind all worldly pleasures, even leaving her own daughters in the care of Madara who accepted the responsibility to honor the memory of his beloved brother.

The two women were never the same after Naruto's death and avoided talking about him to resist stirring up painful memories from the past.

It always made the three children curious about their father. They had heard stories about his conquests and victories, his struggles and defeats, and ultimately his death. But they never knew the kind of person Naruto was which truly saddened Hashirama.

"He was a good man until his last breath, the finest person I ever knew. He felt things deeply than others, he was brave and honorable but with a sharp mind. He never wanted to be King...' admitted Hashirama with a smile, as he recalled the reluctance he had seen in Naruto's mind when they all choose him as their king.

"I find that hard to believe" muttered Prince Naruto with a frown, as he stared at his father with doubt ever present in his eyes. It was no secret to Hashirama that his nephew felt small in comparison to the deeds of his father.

"Your refusal will not change the type of your man your father was, Naruto. He was the best commander I ever followed into battle, he united the world and brought an end to the clan wars era. He fought and defeated the Otsutsuki to save the world from extinction and tyranny. The peace our people and their families enjoy is because of your father's action and sacrifice" reprimanded Hashirama but not unkindly,

Prince Naruto clenched his fist while glaring at his father's statue.

"And what about _us_ , Uncle Hashirama? _Our Family_? Mother never found the love she deserved, my sisters and I never got to know our Father. Uncle Madara is always so distant despite how much he tries. Believe me, I understand the desire to keep our people safe. As Prince, their lives and well being are my responsibility. But I also owe something to my family and loved ones. How can a man choose between the two?" asked Prince Naruto hesitantly,

Hashirama saw the same question also present in Naori and Hikari's eyes. He had to remind himself that these children had Uchiha blood in them, and like their ancestors they felt emotions more deeply than others. It was necessary to make them understand before they went off in the wrong direction.

"Madara told me that he once heard King Naruto say that... _Loyalty was easy to give, but hard to follow through upon_. It maybe hard for you three to understand but your father considered not just you all, but entire humanity as his family. You may think he died for the sake of strangers, but his actions were always aimed at also protecting the ones closest to his heart. Your father faced a difficult path and even so Naruto fought honorably until the very end. He never gave up, he never complained, he always lead from the front. My dear nephew, it is easy to speculate over possibilities when we already know the outcome but in every man's life there will come a day when they must make a choice. One day it will come to you as well, just as it came to your father. I hope you are strong enough to make the right decision when the time comes" advised Hashirama,

Hashirama saw his nephew longingly stare at the statue, seeking answers and warmth that should have been his by right but was never received by him. It was why he and Madara had tried their best to be there for these children but for all their efforts and affection, they couldn't replace these children's real father.

In many ways, Naruto had inherited the best and worst from his parents.

Like Tsunade, he was very open with his feelings and often easy to anger. But like his father, he truly cared about his siblings, his family and his people. He could still remember the day when a 13 year old Prince Naruto had rode off to war alongside Madara and his sisters to crush several factions desperate to revive the Clan Wars Era. Tsunade had objected vehemently, her fear of losing another loved one close to her nearly overpowering her judgement.

But she was proven wrong.

The rebels were propagating to the masses that they were being ruled by a broken women and a young boy. They claimed that the alliance between Uchiha and Senju was about to break leading the world into chaos. Their desperate attempts were proven futile when Naruto and his sisters descended upon them with 10,000 Uchiha and Senju fighters, and their bannermen.

Naori had inherited her father's mind for war and had guided her younger siblings under Madara's tutelage. Hikari and Naruto had followed the advise of their eldest sibling and Uncle which ultimately lead them to victory.

It was there that the Prince earned his Sharingan when one of the rebels nearly killed Hikari.

For that aggression, Naruto butchered them to the last man giving no quarter to even the desperate few that tried to surrender in the end.

That day, three years ago and amidst a battlefield full of a corpses that the world accepted that the three headed dragon was still strong.

There were many veterans of the Otsutsuki war who had fought alongside the Prince, and watching him battle had reminded him of their lost king. His victory only increased morale, even to the extent that the people bestowed the same title upon Prince Naruto that they had given to his father.

 _The Young Dragon._

"I miss him" confessed Hikari, earning a comforting hand on each of her shoulder from her other two siblings.

Hashirama wistfully smiled as the girl's gentle heart reminded him of his own little brother, Itama. Gods, had it been so long?

He could barely remember the faces of his brothers, the sound of their voices, and only knowing that their sacrifice didn't go in vain gave him little solace.

"Where do you think he's now, Uncle Hashirama?" asked Naruto hesitantly, making Hashirama stare at the statue with a faint smile.

"Knowing him, he's off leading another war"

* * *

It was dark.

The thundering clouds roared from the skies, the angry sparks of lightning often falling on barren land scarring it even more. The ghostly winds howled wildly echoing the lost voices of all the souls who were forgotten.

 _The world was dying._

On top of a lonely mountain, five shadows lurked in the darkness observing the massive camp sprawled across the decaying lands.

The sun had deserted this world and so had the stars.

Even the moon was swallowed by the clouds leaving this world in eternal darkness.

Whoever had lived in these lands had long since passed and one touch at the soil was enough to make one understand that the end of this world was near.

"Look at the size of their camp" whispered the first man,

All five of them were garbed in dark swirling shadows that covered them from neck to the legs. It was a gift bestowed upon them to help them accomplish their duty. Their faces always hidden behind demonic masks provided to them by their master.

 _They were ghosts._

"How many of them are there?" asked the second man, his voice as stoic as ever despite what his eyes showed him.

" _Three hundred thousand_ , perhaps. Brother-" whispered the third one worriedly, earning a sharp look from the previous man.

"I told you not to call me that, _fool_. Not out here" hissed the white haired man, his demonic mask thankfully hiding most of his furious expression much to the relief of the younger man beside him.

Thankfully, the other two black haired comrades of theirs didn't care enough to get involved.

But the one who had stayed silent so far did the opposite.

"It's been sixteen years, Tobirama"

The said man removed his mask leading to their other comrades doing the same. In the end, their blonde haired leader caste aside his own mask revealing his perfectly bearded face and sharp eyes. Even if one looked at him closely, they would find it hard to recognize him as Naruto Uchiha, The Young Dragon.

He was nothing but a ghost now, just like the rest of them.

Tobirama glared at his younger brother, Itama who had the grace to blush at his mistake. Kagami and Takeshi Uchiha grinned at the banter which earned a faint smile from the deceased king even as they all watched the grave threat in front of them.

"I often forget who we were. It's good to remember even if only for a little while" whispered the king wistfully,

''It took us so long to follow the clues. So many dead planets, so many barren worlds, and now we finally see what's coming for our people." said Takeshi bitterly,

Tobirama frowned at the anger in the Uchiha's voice. Even in death, Takeshi was a hot-headed soul. But for all his faults, Tobirama admired the man's loyalty to his friend and king. Takeshi and Kagami chose to linger on, to keep on fighting and risking their very existence getting destroyed, to keep aiding their king in the final war.

Tobirama had made the opposite choice and had been about to ascend to the next life when he learned about Itama's decision to follow Naruto in his mission to stop the Otsutsuki. Truthfully, Tobirama thought they had done enough, even giving their lives for mankind.

But now after so many years of witnessing the destruction the Otsutsuki had left across the universe, of the scale of destruction and tragedy they had left behind, and witnessing their true power before his very eyes...he had made the correct decision to protect his younger brother and aid his king in this mission.

"What do we do?" asked Kagami curiously,

"The people need to know" answered Naruto honestly,

"We have constantly left behind messages about the Otsutsuki's movements. It may take a year or two for those messages to reach our world, but it should give our people ample time to prepare" suggested Itama, but Naruto shook his head.

"We cannot depend on that. Now that we know the Otsutsuki's strength, we need to prepare them ourselves before it's too late. Itama and Takeshi!" called the king,

The two warriors straightened up on hearing the iron clad voice of their king.

"Itama, contact the Senjus and their allies"

"Takeshi, do the same with the Uchiha and their bannermen"

"We cannot leave anything to chance. Make sure our people are ready and I, Tobirama and Kagami shall do everything in our power to buy them as much of that precious time as we can" ordered the king,

None of his four comrades objected and only gave him grave but determined nods in return.

King Naruto stared at the army before him. He had seen what kind of devastation they left behind on each world, he had seen the terrifying power these Otsutsuki had.

Hinata had been right about that atleast, the Otsutsuki of Earth were a pale imitation of the ones before him.

And there were so many of them.

Yet he had witnessed the way they fought, the way they waged war, the way they butchered their enemies. It took him sixteen years but he never gave up. He and his comrades trailed after them like ghosts observing them from afar and never made contact no matter what.

 _"I cannot even remember home anymore. My wife and children..."_ he thought sadly, as all he could remember were her blonde hair and dazzling smile alongwith three loud crying babies.

He looked at his comrades and just like him they were torn as they tried to remember the home they had fought for so long, the people for whom they had forsaken a chance to move on for. None of them could remember the things most important to them but they very well remembered the massive slaughter they had witnessed for so many years across the universe.

They were ghosts.

He watched as Itama and Takeshi got up giving him firm salutes as his eye opened up a space time dimension that would take them back home. Considering, how far they were it would take them another three years to reach Earth.

He glanced at his remaining two comrades with a determined gaze.

"We delay their advance" he decided, as he lifted a dark black colored sword that was capable enough of killing living and even the dead. A gift from Death itself.

"Won't be easy" warned Kagami, but nonetheless he too lifted a similar sword and prepared himself.

"Three ghosts against three hundred thousand or more. We stand alone, Naruto" said Tobirama frankly, never mincing any words but was surprised when a faint smile came across the fallen king's face.

"Not alone"

Naruto bit his thumb breaking frozen blood out of his dead skin and placed them upon a skeleton tattoo on his left arm.

 _"It's time"_

Tobirama and Kagami were both surprised when another space time dimension opened around them. At first nothing happened, but then a massive wave came forth until so many corporeal forms were standing in front of them.

Most of them were humans but majority of them had their faces covered in black masks. **Cursed souls** , destined to do the Shinigami's bidding.

But there were more than a few hundred humans with white masks covering their faces. _Pure Souls_ , that had voluntarily chosen to fight this war.

Tobirama took great satisfaction when he saw quite a few of the dark souls had pale white eyes. The only thing that gave their identity away as the Otsutsuki that were butchered in the last war. It gave the Senju immense pleasure to see those vermin being punished in this way.

There were others in the army as well.

Summoning creatures of all sorts, and one of them stood out from the rest.

The pitch black dragon lowered itself allowing its master to take up position on top. Tobirama grinned and Kagami smiled when the king looked at them with a fierce gaze.

 **"For mankind!"**

* * *

Hashirama waited at the gates of the capital alongside a large retinue which included most of his family and even the royal family. They were patiently waiting for the man to arrive, the most excited among their group were none other than Naori and Hikari.

After all, their adoptive father was about to arrive.

He was brought out of his thoughts when he felt the mass of chakra signatures emerging from the forest.

Hundreds of Northmen came charging forth, all wearing traditional armor of many well known clans. Hashirama instantly spotted the Shimura warriors, alongside many Aburame, but most numerous of them were the Uchiha.

It still astonished him that Tsunade's decision to split off the clans across the elemental nations had worked so well. His sister had done well in bestowing the Land of Lightning to the Uchiha clan and their bannermen. Truth be told, it was a wise decision as their firm ideology and iron fist had made peace prevail in those lands. A tactic that would have not worked in the gentle and more liberal Land of Fire, something which the Senjus and their allies were easily able to manage.

The new arrivals were not alone as the Sarutobi from the Land of Earth marched alongside them, so did the Nara's from the Land of Wind. Even Uzumaki from the Land of Whirlpool and Samurai from the Land of Water were marching towards the gates.

Even a small party from the Dragonlands (The Seat of the Prince) was approaching, Prince Naruto smiled on seeing his best friend leading the small group. Sasuke Uchiha, son of Shisui and Mikoto Uchiha grinned as he was the first to reach the gates and was quickly engulfed by the prince in a fierce brotherly hug. The fact that the boy looked quite similar to Madara's deceased little brother Izuna only reminded Hashirama of the hope they had instilled in their world.

Finally, the skies darkened and Hashirama smirked as he arrived.

People gasped when the familiar visage of the demonic bull headed Susanoo graced the Capital once more. Madara Uchiha had not lost any of his dangerous aura, even if most of his days were spent maintaining order across the Land of Lightning as its ruling lord.

Prince Naruto again smiled as the Susanoo landed, and two people emerged. One was his grim faced dear uncle and the other was one of his dearest cousins. Izuna Uchiha, son of Madara Uchiha was three years younger than his cousin. He was wearing black armor that matched his dark hair and eyes, his skin pale like most of his clansmen and like his father he too held a gunbai at his back. Only the gods knew which woman had given Madara a son, as the man himself never revealed that secret to anyone including his own family.

Hashirama watched Prince Naruto and Izuna approach each other before the older brother sized up the younger one with a smirk.

''You're still in black" teased Naruto,

Hashirama didn't miss the fleeting look of sorrow that passed Madara's eyes on hearing those words before he reined in his emotions and watched his own son shrug.

"Still better than yours" answered Izuna with a grin,

Tsunade smiled on watching her son hug his favorite cousin even as Madara and Hashirama did the same, albeit more quickly in order to not gather any more attention.

She waited another few minutes, exchanging respectful greetings made to her by various lords, including Hiruzen Sarutobi who was the new leader of the Land of Earth. The same greetings were extended to her by a smiling Nagato Uzumaki, and old Mifune while Shikaku Nara, son of Daen Nara and new leader of Land of Wind gave her a lazy bow.

* * *

Tsunade presided over the formal meeting and watched every person present in the room. Most of them were men and women she had known her entire life, but there were many new faces as well. They were so young but in them she saw hope for the future.

It made her bitterly understand and remember why her husband sacrificed himself.

Looking at these young children, the future leaders of their world...she could only pray they never saw the horrors that their parents did and could build upon the legacy their ancestors left behind.

She had tried her best to rebuild their world from ashes knowing Naruto would have wanted her to look after their people. She was lucky to some extent, since the world was ravaged by war and destruction, most people were desperate to rebuild their lives and ready to rally behind any who provided that stability.

The Uchiha-Senju alliance was their best hope, so the world followed the two clans with hope in their hearts.

It took nearly a decade to repair the damage left behind by the Otsutsuki and even so the world still had many scars from the last war. Only now their economy was getting back on its feet, human population which had been massacred was now slowly growing again, people were finally able to find some luxury in their lives after years of scarcity in terms of resources. Most of all, the people were still in the process of accepting the destruction the last war had wrecked on them.

Many ninja clans had gone extinct, even the Uchiha and Senju had reached the point of annihilation.

It was why she had encouraged humanity to have more children. It would not only help them regain their lost numbers, but also make them capable enough to face any threats and in a way these children had brought a new light in the lives of Tsunade's generation that had known nothing but war and misery.

It had healed some of the pain they felt for all they had lost.

She looked at her own son and felt pride alongwith sadness sweep her heart. Naruto was sitting beside her and was carefully interacting with Hiruzen and Nagato. Watching him laugh at something Hiruzen said brought a smile on her face. But it also made her worried about her only child.

He was a good boy, if a little strange at times just like his Father.

She had never imagined her son inheriting so much of his Father's looks or live his life on few of the principles which her husband had lived and died by. He had displayed those traits very directly when he ignored her pleadings and had marched to war a few years ago against the rebels. Just like King Naruto, his son who bore the same name couldn't sit back and watch threats being made against his people.

Her son had ignored the advise of his eldest stepsister as well. Princess Naori was good at war and had displayed her skill quite a few times during the Rebellion War. She had advised her only brother to not lead from the front at the risk of his own life, and the girl had been right. Naruto was the only heir to the throne. He carried both Uchiha and Senju blood in him, a part of both families that indirectly also earned him the loyalty of the bannermen of both great clans. It was that power that had kept the world at peace.

If something happened to him, then that alliance would shatter. Tsunade had to remind herself that the only way the war between those two clans had been stopped was through her marriage to King Naruto.

It was why she had to keep her son safe for as long as she lived, not just as his mother but also as Queen of the Seven Nations.

"Lord Madara, may I ask as to why you called for this meeting?" asked Shikaku Nara, bringing Tsunade out of her thoughts and glance at her quiet brother-in-law.

The years had changed the eldest son of Tajima Uchiha.

Tsunade could not help but sympathize with the veteran Uchiha who had lived an even tougher life than hers and many other people in the room. He lost three brothers during the Clans Wars Era, witnessed the demise of his fourth and last brother alongwith most of his clan during the Otsutsuki war, was left alone with the responsibility of leading the Uchiha and their bannermen when Lord Tajima died a year later after the end of the Otsutsuki war swallowed by grief over the death of his sons, his sister and most of his clan.

She had felt extremely guilty of handing over the control of the Land of Lightning to Madara when he was at his lowest. She had feared he would lash at her out for trying to throw his remaining people and bannermen from the Land of Fire which had always been their home. But to her surprise, Madara had seen reason and had accepted her decision and went North. He untied those lands and its people, helped them rebuild their lives alongwith repopulating the Uchiha clan by having a son of his own and encouraging others to do the same. Madara had been the first to answer the call when Prince Naruto had called his banners against the rebels and had made sure the young boy and his sisters returned from the war alive.

In a way, Tsunade guessed Madara was desperate not to lose the last legacy of his beloved brother.

Her decision to split off the most powerful clans across the world had worked much to her surprise. But then again, she had only given command of various nations to only the most loyal clans. It would be upto her son and his descendants of future to make sure they remained loyal every generation. It would not be an easy task but it was the best solution she could come up with at that time all those years ago.

The Land of Lightning, the northern most nation of the world was ruled by the Uchiha with the support of their bannermen. It was the second largest nation after the Land of Fire and was the military powerhouse of humanity. Some of their finest warriors had emerged from that nation under Madara's command.

The Land of Earth, ruled by the Sarutobi clan was rich in minerals and resources. That had proved extremely beneficial for the growth of humanity. The Sarutobi were men of honor and strength, something which the people of Land of Earth respected. They ruled those lands with the support of minor ninja clans and had a decent industry and military force.

The Land of Wind was a different story. Lacking most critical resources and military strength, it was the weakest among all nations. It's people lived a tough life and were the most dangerous, it was why she had tasked the Nara clan to rule those lands. Their intelligence and cunning had kept the most problematic enemies at bay, but even then the rebellion had started from those lands. Thankfully, the other nations had understood the plight of the Nara's and when Prince Naruto called his banners for their aid, the full might of the other six nations descended upon the rebel forces crushing them completely. The Nara clan was doing well in rebuilding the nation after that conflict, but tensions were still high there.

The Land of Fire was the wealthiest and most prosperous among all nations. It was not just the bread-basket of the world with its rich fertile lands but also contained the most precious of resources in forms of Gold, Diamonds, and even Iron. The Senjus ruled most of the nation with the support of their bannermen and only the Capital alongwith its surrounding lands were ruled by the Royal family. Hashirama had maintained the peace and helped his people prosper, the population of this nation was the highest alongwith its economy which was why it had the largest military force in the world.

The Land of Water, previously home to the now deceased Otsutuski clan and their allies had long been shrouded in misery. But when Tsunade gave those lands to the Samurai and Hanzo's followers, it finally brought peace to those lands. While not as prosperous as the Land of Fire or military strong like the Land of Lightning and Earth, the Land of Water was stable enough with a growing economy and a decent army of honor bound Samurai.

The Land of Whirlpools, ruled by the Uzumaki was also a prosperous and wealthy nation. The Uzumaki clan had rebuilt their lands with vigor and determination, and their lands were considered to be the home of some of the most intellectual people of the world. The Uzumaki clan had developed the world in leaps with their military as well as civilian innovations. It had earned them great wealth and fame, alongwith envy. But for now, they were stable and while not a powerhouse in terms of military power...they were still important for growth and peace across the world.

The Dragonlands was the smallest among all nations. They were a group of 50 large and small islands off the coast of the Land of Fire and Water. While not as prosperous as other nations, it was home to the largest naval and merchant fleets of the world. It was under the direct rule of the Royal family and seat of the Crown Prince. Those islands were thankfully able to sustain themselves and their trade fleets had provided very valuable services to various nations. It had earned quite a lot of wealth for Tsunade and her son while their naval fleet had proven quite helpful during the Rebellion by providing crucial logistical support while also transporting warriors from far off nations like the Land of Water.

Somehow, these seven nations had helped humanity find its feet again after the Otsutsuki war and given them all the stability and peace they desperately needed.

But Tsunade also remembered that peace was fragile and fleeting. One wrong move could ignite the sparks of war once more. Most of humanity considered her to be one of the most intelligent rulers in history, but in truth she had only used a page from her deceased husband's war strategies. She had been by Naruto's side when he delegated command to various officers and family members during the war. He had always chosen the most loyal ones to lead while always delegating the most intelligent or cunning ones in advisory positions. A clear example of that fact was him choosing Madara to lead half of his army during the Otsutsuki war, while delegating secondary command to a shrewd Tobirama Senju.

Tsunade had mimicked her husband's decisions and chosen the most loyal lords to rule and keep peace across the world. But she always stayed vigilant, keeping careful eye on all of them including the Senju clan for the hearts of men were always uncertain. She had not tried to micromanage any of the nations apart from the Dragonlands which was under her direct rule. She had allowed her loyal lords to rule their lands with their own philosophy while providing aid when required. It had earned her the respect and loyalty of the lords sitting in this room, while making her extremely beloved to the common population for it was due to her decisions that they got peace.

She could only hope her son could keep this peace after she was gone, but she planned to help him be ready for his responsibility.

"Three years ago, the Uchiha clan received a message that unxplainably was etched into one of our holy shrines" said Madara hesitantly, as if the very words were still alien to him.

"What did the message say?" asked Hiruzen Sarutobi, echoing everyone's thoughts.

 _"They are coming"_

The room froze.

Tsunade herself controlled her emotions while gauging those of the other lords and their children. Most seemed shocked, some younger clan heirs even disbelieving. Even her own son seemed skeptical of his uncle's claims, something he never often did.

"It could be a hoax, Lord Madara. Even the Otsutsuki records we found in the Land of Water estimated the one true enemy's arrival atleast a few more decades later" argued Shikaku Nara defensively, but Tsunade already saw the gears churning in the sharp man's mind.

Madara nodded if a bit reluctantly, his grim mood becoming even more darker. An expression mirrored by his own son.

"At first, I thought so. Someone's poor attempt to plunge our world back into the flames of war, but a few months later another message appeared. This one providing images of a world that is not ours" said Madara hesitantly,

His son, Izuna got up from his seat and distributed a few pictures across the room. When Tsunade received a copy, she had to again control her emotions. Before her was the image of a snowy world ruined by war, even from this brief picture she could see the lands were devastated to the point of beyond return. The very earth itself was dying alongside the corpses of strange little bug like creatures that were never before seen on Earth.

Another picture was passed to her and this one took her breath away.

Five shadows in the shape of humans were present on the very same destroyed snowy world. Their faces and bodies hidden by masks and shadow like cloaks, but she felt her heart stop on seeing one of them having blonde hair and another with pale white hair.

Her gaze caught Madara, followed by Hashirama's and then her own son...all of whom were shocked.

"Few of them look very similar, Madara" said Hashirama hopefully,

"I didn't want to believe it at first but another message came a year later and this time it had information about the numbers in the enemy's vanguard, their battle tactics, and alongwith some of their strengths. It's beyond anything the majority of our ninjas can handle" confessed Madara, as he handed off the last images in his possession.

It carried a last message as well.

 _"They come. We shall do what we can, for as long as we can to buy you time. Unite and face them or mankind shall perish like the inhabitants of destroyed worlds across the universe"_

By now, the room had gone deathly silent.

"If this is true..." whispered Hiruzen, a small hint of fear creeping into his voice.

"Then we're _fucked_. I am hard pressed to consider this to be true as the technology of photography is still being perfected by my clan and would take another year before we can pass it on the world. Either our supposed allies stole this technology and are helping us out or this is another rebel faction looking to create discontent and anarchy" explained Nagato, much to the distress of the other ninja leaders.

"Madara is this who I think it is?" asked Tsunade hesitantly, her gaze still affixed on the blonde man and the one with white hair. Even the one with brown hair seemed to hit something in her heart.

"King Naruto was the only one in our world with the ability to move across time and space. I can think of no one other than my brother with the power and will to do what is right for his people. _Even after death_ " answered Madara, pride easily present in his voice alongwith sadness and hope.

"This man beside the king looks like Tobirama, and this one like Itama" proposed Hashirama, a smiling etching across his face.

"The other two seem like Kagami and Takeshi. But we cannot be sure" whispered Mikoto in surprise, earning a nod from her husband Shisui as well.

"I don't think any of this is true. These men are dead and we have never tried something horrible like the Otsutsuki had done to bring them back. The Samurai are of the belief that this is the evil desire of chaotic shinobi wishing to start another war by playing at our feelings. I must say they are pretty smart as they are hitting you all where it hurts most, _family_ " warned Mifune, earning a nod from Hanzo as well.

That seemed to dampen the spirits of most people in the room, as hard rationality and reality threatened to crush the faint hopes once more.

"It is true, my queen. Our world is not ready for war and the civilians will revolt against us if we threaten their peace with another conflict. The memory of the Rebellion is still fresh in many hearts and might just erupt into an inferno if we make hasty decisions" warned Shikaku Nara,

Tsunade was about to argue when her son slowly got up from his seat attracting everyone's gaze. He looked at her for permission and she saw the keen desire to take charge of this situation. She hesitated, wondering if it was the right choice but in the end consented because if this information was true then Naruto would have to lead their race just as his father had in the last war, who still fought for their well being even after death.

"You're right, Lord Shikaku and Lord Mifune. Our peace is too fragile and our subjects too hesitant for another war. In that sense, I can understand not making any hasty decisions" said Prince Naruto, his voice every bit like his Father's had been.

Madara seemed disappointed and was about to protest when his nephew looked directly at him.

"But we also cannot dismiss this threat lightly. We all know that the Otsutsuki shall come to destroy our world, it maybe now or a few decades later but every evidence we have shows one harsh truth... _they are coming_ " argued Prince Naruto, earning a grim nod from Madara and his son. Even Hashirama relented after a few long moments.

"Then what do you want us to do, my prince?" questioned Hiruzen seriously,

"Call the banners"

Shocked gasps escaped across the room, Tsuande's among them. Only Madara grinned with barely hidden pride visible across his grim face.

"All of them?" asked a distressed Shikaku Nara, already imagining the backlash this would cause across the ever unstable Land of Wind.

" _No_. That would be too risky, start with preparing your own individual clansmen first. If we discover more merit to this threat, only then we can escalate this to a full scale crisis. A small military buildup would not raise much questions considering the memories of the Rebellion is still fresh in many minds. We should also prepare our economy for war, with winter coming we can justify this as a preventive action in stopping scarcity of food, water and critical resources. In the meanwhile, I shall form a small elite force that would investigate this threat. I would request all of your support by providing me the finest men and women from your families"

Tsunade was stunned.

She watched many faces across the room and she was not alone in her feelings. Madara and Hashirama seemed proud of their nephew, so was Hiruzen Sarutobi for they were men who understood war better than others in the room. Meanwhile, Lord Shikaku, Lord Nagato and Lord Mifune seemed conflicted already imagining the ramifications behind this move.

In this moment, she could clearly see her son had inherited both hers and his father's traits.

He lead from the front but also had an understanding of human hearts and minds, characteristics passed on by his mother and father.

But, just because he was thinking on the right path didn't mean that others would agree with his judgement. People had followed King Naruto because their very existence was threatened, now having endured a long peace...few were opposed to going back to the old days of war.

"I'm sorry to say this but you're being _too hasty_ , my prince. The Samurai do not agree with this decision, I cannot in good conscience allow my people to be a part of this" replied Mifune flatly, making Tsunade clench her fists and many eyes to harden for the open defiance.

To everyone's surprise, Prince Naruto smiled.

A cold and ruthless smile.

"That is your right, Lord Mifune. But if war truly comes to our world then I will not raise a _single_ sword in the defense of the Land of Water. Nor can I continue to allow the _subsidies_ the crown has granted your people over the years any longer, considering you are not inclined to defend your fellow men" said Prince Naruto coldly, hard eyes remaining steady even as the furious and cold gaze of the Samurai leader gazed upon him.

"We served your Father, boy. The subsidies you grant us are not out of the goodness of your heart but because your mother took the ancestral lands of my people and ordered us to populate the Land of Water. We served your father, and then your mother loyally without question. Is _this_ how you reward loyalty?" asked Mifune fiercely,

Naruto clenched his jaw and was about to give a befitting reply but his eldest sister cut him off.

"My Father always believed that the Samurai were honorable... _more loyal_ " said Naori pointedly,

Madara smiled at his niece's harsh words struck Mifune deeply. For all their faults, the Samurai were a proud people. Having raised the girl and her sister, he knew Naori may have inherited Naruto's mind for war but in many ways her temperament was just like Madara's.

The same could not be said of her younger sister who was of a more gentle heart, a fact she displayed as she looked at Mifune with hopeful look that could have melted even the most hardened men.

"My brother does not wish war upon your people, but only the Samurai and Shinobi together were able to stop Hinata Otsutsuki. The way we think are different but in the end we are all _human_. We **_must_** stay united, Lord Mifune" urged Hikari gently,

Mifune glanced at the other lords and saw most didn't agree with him but the Prince. A few like Shikaku who had doubts were smart enough to keep their doubts to themselves. He then looked at Hanzo, and his old friend gave him a careful nod which made Mifune sigh.

"The Samurai have followed the Crown loyally for years, we will not break faith today" declared Mifune reluctantly, but made sure to intently stare at the prince making sure to let the boy know that he would be held personally responsible and suffer repercussions if he dragged the Samurai into a needless conflict.

Thankfully, the boy gave a curt but respectful nod in return which was much better than giving false promises which he couldn't keep.

"Northern families are loyal, Naruto. They'll fight for you if you want" promised Madara, earning a wide smile from his nephew.

"So shall the South and all its families" promised Hashirama fiercely, earning a grateful nod from Tsunade.

"The Land of Earth stands behind you, my prince" pledged Hiruzen honestly,

"Troublesome, I don't like it but needs to be done. I'll rally what support I can from my troublesome lands...just don't be too hasty, my prince" said Shikaku hesitantly, earning chuckles from many in the room including the prince.

"Hn, I don't need to say this but the Dragonlands shall stand behind you" promised Sasuke Uchiha with a smirk, earning a smile from his mother Mikoto and a tired sigh from his father Shisui at the boy's dramatic and informal pledge.

All eyes turned upon Nagato Uzumaki who gave a faint smile to the Prince.

"You remind me of your Father, my prince. In many ways you are like him but I see some of your mother in you as well. We are kin by blood and the Uzumaki owe your father a debt we can never repay. We shall support our family like we always have" promised Nagato with a smile,

Tsunade watched her only son with pride and fear in her heart as he gave a respectful nod to all those who had supported his decisions.

Her heart nearly broke when Izuna Uchiha got up from his seat. It was no secret the boy admired his cousin and made no secret of the fact when he raised his own sword and yelled the title that brought happy and painful memories in Tsunade's heart.

 **"THE YOUNG DRAGON!"**

Soon enough, the hall was filled by enthusiastic cheers for the prince and his nickname. Most of the praises came from his own generation who for all their effort couldn't hide the fact that they saw a chance to step outside of their parent's shadow and earn glory for themselves by following the Prince.

While Tsunade and her generation could not be so cheerful as unlike their children they had seen war, and there was _no_ glory in it.

 _Only pain and heartbreak._

One which most of the older generation felt clearly when they saw a boy so similar in mind and appearance as their fallen king be accepted as the leader of the next generation.

They all could still remember the day, all those years ago when the proclaimed another man by the same title, and one fact became very clear to their generation.

Wars may start and die.

Kings may rise and fall.

 _But The Young Dragon shall live on forever in the hearts of those who yearned for freedom._

* * *

Madara watched his son, nephew and nieces having a good time alongside children of other ninja lords in the royal gardens. A sight that evoked a smile from his dear friend Hashirama and a worried glance from Tsunade.

"He's just a boy. They all are" chastised Tsunade,

Madara grunted in disapproval while staring at his sister-by-law seriously. There were many things she was better at than him, most impressively in keeping the prickly and nervous ninja lords united. Not to mention the civilians loved her and she was a shinobi at that.

But this was something where she was wrong.

"They won't be boys forever. It's better they grow up now than in the flames of war, like we all did" rebuked Madara, earning a tired sigh from Hashirama.

"That is _not_ what we wanted for our children, Madara. We fought and sacrificed so hard to give them a peaceful future, not more wars to fight and die in" said Hashirama bitterly,

Both Senjus were disappointed when Madara remained unmoved and stared back at them without backing down reminding them of the Uchiha stubbornness they had sometimes forgotten due to how far their people lived from each other now.

"Do you really think he's out there?" asked Tsunade, the hope in her voice not missed by Madara and her brother.

"I don't have any definite proof but I believe my brother is too stubborn and honorable to risk his people's fate when he can do something. Those who follow him are of the same heart, including your brothers. I respect them all for their strength and I hope one day I can see them again. In life or death" whispered Madara earnestly,

"So do I" agreed Hashirama, earning a silent nod from his sister as well.

Madara glanced at his nephew currently laughing alongside his son. While his own mother and uncle didn't think him to be strong enough, Madara knew the boy was his father's son and provided the right guidance he would rise up to the responsibility of leading mankind once more.

"I couldn't protect my brothers...but I _will_ protect them. Even if it costs me everything" promised Madara fiercely,

Hashirama was pleased to see the promise Madara had made was not just by looking at his own family but the Senju children and the other clan children as well. The Uchiha lord was a strong man and sometimes difficult to understand, but he was the best friend Hashirama had ever known.

A man who always spoke harsh but honest words.

It was why the two Senju siblings couldn't help but reluctantly agree to the Uchiha's next words.

"There's a war coming. I don't know how soon...but it is coming" said Madara with a feral grin that sent shivers down the Senju's hearts as they saw the old warrior flare back to life.

"It's not a matter of _smiling_ , Madara" rebuked Tsunade, and saw her own brother agreed with her sentiment not that it mattered to the Uchiha who clenched his fist.

"How are the Biju?" he asked seriously, looking directly into Hashirama's eyes intently.

Hashirama sighed.

"All of them have reformed again. The Kyuubi has so far managed to keep them calm and isolated in the mountains of my lands but it would be best if they are not called for aid until necessary. Many people still resent them for the destruction and death they caused to humanity in the Otsutsuki war. Even if it was against their will, it doesn't matter for humans are a _vengeful_ race" warned Hashirama, earning a grunt from his best friend.

"I don't trust them but my brother did. The fox promised my brother that he would come to the aid of his son and his descendants when the Otsutsuki clan truly arrived for war. I hope the beast is honest in keeping its promises, or else I'll drag all _nine_ of them kicking and screaming out of whatever shitty caves they are hiding in" warned Madara, voice grave and dark which made Tsunade shiver.

Fortunately, her brother knew how to deal with his friend better than her.

"Let's hope we don't reach that point. In the meantime, you need to keep King Naruto's Rinnegan safe. We will only use it in the direst of situations" cautioned Hashirama,

It was not much of a promise but for now it was enough to pacify Madara who stared back at the vast Land of Fire around them. He had never been able to take his brother's eye, no matter how powerful that dojutsu was. Some even say it allowed a man to gaze into the future, but Madara had seen enough horrors to be content to live in the present.

He only knew that if he had taken his brother's eye, he would have gone mad from grief seeing the world with his brother's eye and remembering how Naruto's life had been sacrificed for the greater good. No, it didn't belong to him and which was why he had kept it safe to pass on to his brother's son if he required it. He was even willing to limit the use of his own Mangekyo eyes thereby evading blindness all these years. What was to say? He was a stubborn man.

"Still another war. We barely survived the last one and not without severe losses. We might have rebuilt our world and our armies, but we are _not_ at our best. The fighters of our forces are mostly young men and women lead by a quarter of grizzled veteran of old wars. Many warriors chose to retire after the Otsutsuki war, many more after the Rebellion. Only the most stubborn, suicidal and craziest have stayed on the path of a shinobi" warned Tsunade, earning a smirk from Madara.

"We'll fight with what we have. It's better to have a small group of lions at your side than a horde of sheep" rebuffed Madara nonchalantly, earning a sigh from his best friend.

"It's not worth the cost" bemoaned Hashirama, his reluctance and sorrow visible for his friend and sister to witness.

Madara steeled himself ignoring the small bout of fear and hesitation in his own heart as he stared at the next generation, his world and all that he held dear in his hardened heart.

"One day we'll crush those _pale eyed bastards_. It won't be easy and it won't be without sacrifices but we **_can_** win. Together, we all shall bring **Fire and Blood** upon the Otsutsuki clan and _burn them all_ in the **Fury** of mankind" promised Madara with so much conviction that it earned him grim nods from the two Senjus beside him.

Madara glanced at the skies beyond which the vast universe and somewhere out there was their eternal foe marching towards them.

His words echoing his promise across the universe.

 _"One day, the final enemy of mankind shall fall"_

* * *

Explosions thundered all across the destroyed lands.

A pale eyed man with long white hair stepped out of his tent observing and smiling at the chaos around him. Towards the perimeter of their large settlement, the battle was being fiercely fought between his own forces and the enemy.

He gazed far and wide with his pale eyes, only to be surprised by the new enemy before him.

They were...interesting, to say the least.

But his gaze hardened when he saw them use attacks that screamed a mastery over chakra. A power which only belonged to _his_ kind and not the vermin across the universe. The stupid bitch Kaguya had betrayed them, but it was only going to be a minor nuisance in their eternal conquest.

Still, it was going to be an interesting challenge in crushing creatures that not just looked similar to his own people, but also were able to mimic their powers at a pitiful level.

As the battle raged on, he saw a blonde haired warrior fiercely lead his small army, shockingly crushing the outer most guard force of the Otsutsuki with ease. On his lips was a simple battlecry that seemed to urge his forces to fight even harder and more fiercely.

It also gave the Otsutsuki king a name to his enemy's home.

 _"Earth, huh?''_

* * *

 **Author's Notes: End of story.**

 **Hope you guys liked it, I know I enjoyed writing it.**

 **Man: 300,000 words; didn't think I would be able to write another story of such length.**

 **Took some time writing this epilogue as I needed to cover quite a few angles.**

 **Yes, King Naruto is** _dead_ **. It was already decided even before I wrote the first word for this story. I liked the Clan Wars Era arc immensely as I saw so much world building potential but hated the way Madara went astray. I imagined what if Madara had something worth fighting for, what if he lost the same or more in life but became strong enough to be the man Hashirama believed him to be.**

 **That's where Naruto came in, because I knew his character could even sway someone like Madara given enough time and emotion and I hope this story showed that relationship between brothers.**

 **In a way, Naruto is gone. But his legacy lives on in the form of his son and the currently stable ninja world, not saying what he built is the perfect solution but it seems to be working for his people currently.**

 **I'll honestly admit that a lot of aspects of this fic have been inspired from GOT and LOTR, and I'm not ashamed of it because those two worlds are the closest I could take an inspiration for the Clan Wars Era.**

 **Naruto's actions left a lasting impact on his world and the people around him. He made a difference even if it costed him his life, he never gave up and died believing that the next generation would be capable enough to lead mankind. In that manner, his ideals are similar to Cannon Naruto.**

 **But another aspect of his character that I tried to co-relate with the way Cannon Naruto suffered at the hands of Konoha was the incident where he was forced to kill his own clansmen. That inspiration came to me by watching a tribute video on Youtube about Jaime Lannister from GOT.**

 **As for the way Naruto fought battles and lead his war, I might have dropped quite a few hints about it throughout the story. For those who didn't realize, a major aspect of Naruto's character was inspired from Robb Stark. Both men never expected to be king, were forced to lead their people through war, never lost any battles (Except one in Naruto's case), had a choice of marrying for duty, and ultimately had to die for their cause. It's a tragic tale, but one that I found fitting because I want the next generation to take up and build upon Naruto's legacy.**

 **One of the guest readers mentioned that I get few readers because of my dark stories. I admit they are darker than most fics out there, but it's the way I like it. For better or worse, I love what I write and there can be no alternative to that.**

 **Still, I've left room for a sequel and enough space for our dear Naruto to make cameo appearance here and there. But if I write a sequel, then it'll be from the perspective of Naruto's son whom I also couldn't help giving the same name. It just felt right.**

 **Well, I've said enough and hope I answered some of your questions. If you have any others, feel free to PM me.**

 **I'll be taking a short break from writing, let's say two weeks and even longer from Naruto stories. This is my fifth story that I have completed and let me tell you it's a** _herculean_ **task. I made a promise to my readers to finish it, and it took some time but I kept that promise.**

 **If you want to check out my other stories, feel free to do so.**

 **For the time being, my focus will shift towards completed my Game of thrones fic "Wolves and Crows", my Naruto/Mass Effect crossover "Shadows", and my Naruto/Attack on Titan crossover "Humanity's Last Stand". If you want to read more of my work then feel free to check out these stories or my other completed Naruto fics, I also have a Code Geass fic though I haven't managed to update it for quite some time, something which I'll try to rectify now that this story is over. I might even write down the final part of my Namikaze Legend series, gods I need to finish that trilogy...I can be a lazy bastard at times, hehe.**

 **And to those selected few who'll bitch about me promoting my other stories, it's not a crime and unlike many authors I do** _complete_ **my fics so it's fair in my opinion.**

 **Since it's the last time, please let me know your experience with this story through Reviews or PM, whatever you prefer.**

 **Until Next Time,**

 **Blackwolf501**

 **PS: Thank you so much for the awesome support! It's been a good ride guys.**


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